


one | four | three

by mumsywrites



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Blood and Injury, Dimilix Week (Fire Emblem), Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Lighthouse Keeper AU, Lighthouse Keeper Felix, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, MerMitri, Sex, it's a little bit historical and a little bit fantasy, mermaid au, merman Dimitri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:34:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29431071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mumsywrites/pseuds/mumsywrites
Summary: The sea is a treacherous beast; touting adventure out past the horizon with nothing but deadly traps waiting to swallow anyone whole. At first burdened by the prospect of being tethered to the lighthouse, Felix knew he had an important role as the last surviving Fraldarius: he needed to keep the beacon lit, otherwise thousands of deaths would be on his hands.Alone, with just the company of a cat and the occasional sailor washing up on his doorstep, Felix accepted his life and his duties. Until one day, he came across a mysterious creature: a mess of pale blond hair, one eye a shock of blue, the other closed with a nasty scar over the lid, a long, gorgeous, cerulean tail.Perhaps the "call of the siren" was more than just a childhood fable.A multi-chapter fic for 2021 Dimilix Week!
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 67
Kudos: 64
Collections: 2021 Dimilix Week





	1. light

**Author's Note:**

> This idea got this best of me. It's a little bit historical, a little bit fantasy, and 100% Dimilix. I will be posting each chapter for the first five days of Dimilix Week.
> 
> This chapter will be for: **Historical AU.**
> 
> While yes, there is a MerMitri, I have it vaguely set in the 1890s, in a coastal town most likely in New England. I have a long love of lighthouses and thus this fic was born!
> 
> Enjoy!

The sky was clear, hardly a wisp of a cloud floating by. It glowed a pale orange, shifting to pinks and purples further out from the setting sun, out past the horizon ahead of him. Felix stood on the lower gallery walk of the lighthouse, having just lit the light for the evening. It would be a long night, just as any other, but such was his job.

Glenn yowled behind him, winding around his legs and pawing at him; if only the cat would remember that Felix kept no treats for him this high.

“Not now, Glenn,” he said, keeping his eyes ahead. Tending the light on his own was a tiring job, but he was raised to care for it; his father made sure of it. It made it all the easier to take on the task by himself when the fever took Rodrigue Fraldarius two years prior. He huffed, leaning back against the brick and tilting his head up to watch the light slowly pass above. He was supposed to tend to the light with his brother, but the sea proved too treacherous, taking him away many years ago, too.

He was lucky to have the cat, thankful for the scraggly companion when he wasn’t yelling at him for a snack.

“Felix!!”

And perhaps he wasn’t always so alone. He walked out the opposite side of the light, leaning over to spot Sylvain down below, waving his arms in front of his modest home.

He waved in return, turning back into watch room and making his way down the stairs to the earth below. He had memorized each step in the lighthouse by the time he was eight, all 129 of them. He knew which ones were a little wobbly, which one had the dent in it, which one he scraped his knee as a child, chasing his brother to see who could reach the top first. Each step told a story: of his past, of his father, of the keepers before him.

But now, the light was his and his alone.

When he reached the bottom of the light, he opened the door to Sylvain, his smile wide and bright; it did little to hide the stink of the sea on him.

“When did you dock?”

Sylvain shrugged, slapping his hand to Felix’s back and dragging him towards the house. Glenn fell in behind them, mewling at Sylvain the whole way.

“An hour or two ago? Got some drinks at the tavern with the rest of the crew, but I wasn’t gonna splurge on a room. Not when I can stay at your place.”

He gave Felix a wink and Felix gave him a push, shaking off his smell as best as he could. “And what if I didn’t let you?”

“Come on, Fe, you live in this house all by yourself! And you don’t even sleep at night. You’re always up there.” Sylvain held a sour look on his face as he turned back to gesture at the light, but still, he eagerly followed Felix into the house.

With a groan, Felix fell into a rickety chair in the kitchen. Sylvain wasn’t wrong; all the rooms in the house were vacant at night while Felix worked the light, using the daytime hours to catch up on his sleep. And as long as Sylvain didn’t bring any loose women around, he was welcome to stay in Felix’s childhood room. Free of charge.

Unfortunately.

Sylvain pulled out a seat beside him and Glenn immediately began to paw at Sylvain’s leg, meowing and purring relentlessly.

“Whoa, buddy, did you miss me?”

“You smell like fish guts,” Felix said with little fanfare, his nostrils flaring as he dared to take in a breath. “Among other things.”

Sylvain merely laughed, reaching down to ruffle the tawny fur on Glenn’s head. “Sorry, buddy, I can only offer the smell. Which, by the way Felix, mind if I run a bath?”

Felix waved his hand, getting up retrieve a can of fish heads from the ice box; anything to get Glenn to stop yowling. “Do what you will, as long as I don’t have to do anything. I need to get back to work.”

“All by your lonesome, huh?”

“Like you’d be any help.”

Sylvain laughed, walking to the opposite corner of the kitchen to grab two glasses and a bottle of whiskey; he boldly made himself comfortable in Felix’s home, but years of friendship were bound to have that effect on him.

As Felix grabbed the jar for the cat, Sylvain popped the cork on the whiskey bottle, pouring two small servings for the men. “You know me too well, Fe.”

Once the lid of the jar of fish heads popped, Glenn turned his attention to Felix and darted over, pawing and clawing at his owner’s pants.

“Calm down, Glenn,” he said, prying a slimy fish head out of the jar and tossing it into an empty metal pan on the ground. He sealed up the jar as Glenn went about devouring his tasty treat.

With a grimace, Felix wiped his hand clean and put the jar back into the ice box. He glanced back a the table where Sylvain held his glass of whiskey, waiting for a toast.

“You really shouldn’t have,” Felix said, holding back his sarcasm as best he good.

“This is a premium vintage you have here, Fe, and I never turn down a drink.”

“I didn’t even offer.”

Regardless, Felix took a seat and grabbed his glass, taking in the subtle smokey hints of the liquor. One glass wouldn’t hurt, and he still had time to make it back up to the light to turn the crank for the next few hours. He held up his glass, giving Sylvain an impatient look.

“What are we even toasting to?”

“To the call of the siren!” Sylvain cheered, clinking his glass against Felix’s before taking a long sip of his whiskey.

“To what?”

“Come on, Fe, drink! It’s bad luck to let a toast go to waste!”

Felix grumbled, taking a sip and shutting his eyes at the sting of the liquor trailing down his throat. He shook his head as the burn dissipated, and placed his glass back on the table. “What were you going on about with your toast, the call of the…?”

“The call of the siren! I’m sure you’ve heard the tales.”

Felix rolled his eyes, staring down into the amber liquid in his glass. “Of course,” he mumbled. “Any kid who grew up by the sea knows the stories of sirens and monsters. But it’s all fantasy, Sylvain. None of that is real.”

“You say that!” Sylvain pointed an accusatory finger at Felix before taking another generous sip of his whiskey. “But this last trip almost turned disastrous for my crew mates and me!”

Glenn purred from his corner of the room, padding towards Felix and curling up at his feet, fish head completely consumed, save for the bones.

Felix took another sip of his whiskey, shaking his head at the notion Sylvain tried to bring up. “Probably just scurvy.”

“No! Seriously, Felix, it was freaky.” He placed his glass back onto the table and looked out the window towards the ocean, his eyes glazing over. “I felt it. It’s not something you can hear, like a song, but a feeling. A pull towards the darkest depths of the ocean. I nearly fell overboard, I was so caught up in it.”

His voice was low and even, missing most of the pep of his usual tone. His fingers were shaking on the glass, his eyes drawn to the image of the ocean out the window.

Felix took a cautious glance as well, slowly bringing his glass to his lips and taking a sip. He never felt the “call,” whatever that meant. His brother did, though. And it cost him his life. He shut his eyes, shaking his head, and looked down at the creature that emulated his brother in as many ways that a cat possibly could. Shaking his head, he stood up, resting his hands on Sylvain’s shoulders and shaking him out of his trance.

“It’s called being stuck on a ship for weeks on end without proper nutrition. It does crazy shit to your head.”

Sylvain blinked back into consciousness and smiled weakly. “You weren’t there, Fe. It was real.”

“So then why are we toasting to it?”

“Maybe you can find yourself a sexy siren to call your wife and help you out with this lighthouse business,” he said with a wink, finishing his whiskey with a large gulp; way to waste a _premium vintage_ so thoughtlessly.

Felix groaned and rolled his eyes, returning to his chair and leaning back. “I hardly see how a fish wife will help me tend to a lighthouse.”

“Well, maybe not a fish wife, but any wife will do. Anyone to warm your bed and pop out a few kids so you’re not doing this on your own forever.”

“Sylvain…”

“Hey, I’m just trying to help, that’s all.” Sylvain raised his hands defensively, pouring another shallow glass of whiskey.

“I have all the help I need, Sylvain,” Felix spat back, looking out at the light. “I’m fine taking care of the light on my own.”

Sylvain lifted his second glass in a mock toast before sipping down another gulp of it. “Sure you are.”

* * *

It grew colder that night, as any that Felix had experienced watching the sea from so high above. Sylvain went to sleep a few hours before, the light from the spare room in the house long since extinguished. Felix gave a sigh, leaning forward over the railings while Glenn snaked through his legs.

“Call of the siren,” he scoffed, thinking on the ridiculous tales that spewed from Sylvain’s mouth earlier in the night.

The sea was its own siren; touting adventure out past the horizon with nothing but deadly traps waiting to swallow anyone whole. His brother’s death was proof enough of that fact. While at first, Felix found the prospect of being tethered to the light a burden, he was the only one left to keep the beacon lit, meaning thousands of deaths would be on his hands if he ever abandoned his duties.

He closed his eyes, listening to the waves crash against the rocks below and the mechanical hum of the lens turning the lantern room above. He’d have to go give it another crank in about an hour, but for now he could lose his thoughts to the sound of the water below.

It was a calm night, too calm for the waters below to be crashing so erratically. With a glance down, he noticed a pale mess of hair down on the rocks and a pair of arms struggling to grip the slippery surface.

His eyes widened and he bolted for the the stairs, gliding down the length of the light. He burst out from the door at the surface and ran to rocks, spotting a man, seemingly naked and tangled in a fishing net.

“Shit,” he cursed, minding his steps on the rocks as he neared the person. He grabbed a knife from his pocket, inching closer to the man still thrashing in the net.

How did he get caught in the net? What had happened to his clothes? How had he not drowned, being drifted off this far to the edges of the sea?

“I’ll help you out of there,” he said over the sound of the waves and the struggling grunts of the man, who didn’t even seem to notice Felix.

With a flick of his wrist, he tore up a good enough chunk of the net and reached in, grabbing onto a strong arm of the man in peril.

The man grabbed back, his fingers slick and almost slimy. With the turn of the light above, he could see a shimmer gloss over the man’s arm.

“What…”

The man looked up, one eye a shock of blue, the other closed with a nasty scar over the lid. The longer he looked, he more detail Felix could make out; large gills on the sides of this torso, hips covered in cerulean scales. His gills flared as Felix stood there in stunned silence.

Felix dropped his knife, watching beads of water trail from the man’s yellow hair and down past his nose. After moments of staring, he hissed, revealing sharp fangs. He quickly shuffled out of the net and leapt from the rocks, back into the sea, a long tail disappearing into the water after him.

Felix sat upon the rocks, not moving until a large wave rolled over him, soaking though his clothes to his core. He cursed, nearly slipping into the water as he stood up, staring out into the horizon.

“Was that…?”

 _No_.

Sylvain was full of foolish tales, none of them true. There was no way Felix just rescued a siren or merman or whatever he could be called.

But then…?

He looked down at the net, torn through with the help of his knife with a small patch of brilliant blue scales stuck on a thread. He knelt down, running his thumb over the shimmery scale and looked back out to the water.

Could it be?

_The call of the siren._


	2. blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix's heart leapt at the sight before him, eyes widening in horror. The creature from the night before sat upon the rocks, his tail thrashing against the pull of a spear, buried deep in his flesh. Rivulets of bright red blood pooled over the shimmering scales, briefly staining the rocks below until a small wave would washed it away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two! For Dimilix Week day two: **blood.**
> 
> Not too creative with chapter titles for this fic, just using the daily prompts for them (except for chapter 1). Enjoy!

Felix spent the rest of the night looking absently into the sea. Occasionally, he would glance down at the gathering of rocks at the foot of the lighthouse, where he found the creature stuck in the net. He had pocketed the torn scale and tried not to think that it essentially was apart of the beast’s flesh, but every time he would look at it, he would get lost in the shimmer. Every turn of the light above him revealed a new color in the scales, showing to have more than just crystal blue at its surface; purples and pinks, greens and yellows, all were revealed with the addition of some light and Felix thought on how gorgeous the scales would look at sunrise.

Glenn would paw at his legs, his nose twitching at the smell on Felix’s fingers, but Felix would shoo him away, putting the scales back in his coat pocket and climbing up the ladder to the service room to give the lens another crank to keep it spinning.

He leaned against the railings of the upper gallery and this time, let his eyes wander from the rocks down below to the space of water just off to the side. He should have been frightened, he should have taken the hiss as a warning, but his mind centered on the pure blue of the creature’s eye, the way it stared into Felix, piercing through him. He never felt more willingly vulnerable in his entire life.

Hours of staring and remembering his duties led to the sun’s eventual rise on the horizon.

With a sigh, he climbed up to extinguish the light. Exhaustion seemed to hit him at once as he began his other morning duties, cleaning the lens and tending to the weather log. Before he began the descent down the light, he gazed at the rocks below once more and shook his head.

“Call of the siren,” he groaned groggily, taking the first steps down the winding stairs.

Sylvain was still sound asleep upstairs when Felix made it back into the house, hanging his coat and hat on the rack as he walked into the kitchen. A simple breakfast of eggs and toast would suffice until he went to bed in a few hours.

The crackling of the eggs in the cast iron pan seemed to be enough to stir Sylvain from his slumber, however, and he emerged in the kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of trousers that hung low on his hips.

“Morning,” he yawned, taking a seat at the table and resting his chin in folded hands. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Eggs,” Felix said shortly. “Only enough for me. Go get your own in town.”

“Aw, come on, Felix, I don’t want to go into town too early before the ship departs! The rest of the crew will find me and put me to work!”

Felix turned to glare at Sylvain from over his shoulder. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do as a sailor?”

Sylvain groaned, sliding back into his seat and throwing his head back. “Well, yeah, but…”

Rolling his eyes, Felix went back to his eggs, spilling them onto a plate once finished.

“I left the gas on if you want to make your own helping,” he said, sitting beside Sylvain who seemed rejuvenated by the invitation.

“Hey, I’ll take it,” he said, getting up to prepare his own meal.

The two of them sat mostly in silence, save for the moments Sylvain had to tell Felix about his risqué dreams during the night.

Felix kept his nightly encounter to himself; he couldn’t be sure of its validity, save for the gathering of scales he kept in his coat pocket. It could have been from any fish that got caught in the net. But he was so certain of that shade of blue, as Glenn was certain of its scent, whirling in circles beneath the coat rack.

“Might want to get that coat cleaned, Felix. Glenn seems obsessed with it.”

“Yeah,” Felix responded absently, grabbing the plates and walking them over to the counter. He snapped his fingers to bring Glenn’s attention on him and started walking towards the stairs.

“Wait, you’re heading to bed already?”

He nodded, barely looking back with his foot on the first step. “I had a long night, really need to get some sleep.”

Sylvain whined, but thankfully took it as a sign. “Fine, I guess I’ll get dressed and head out into town.”

“Good,” Felix said, trying to hide his smirk, but Sylvain unfortunately saw and teased Felix all the way up to his bedroom.

* * *

From the moment the front door closed at Sylvain’s leave, Felix could not fall asleep. The sound of the echo reverberated in his mind and every time he shut his eyes, he saw bright blue, shimmering scales and yellow blond hair, dripping with sea water.

The call of the siren was blaring in his mind, unwilling to let him sleep. For the rare moments that he did find sleep, Glenn would paw his face back to consciousness, chirping and tilting his head, as if Felix were tossing in his sleep.

He probably was.

After several hours, he gave up his attempts and decided to draw a bath instead; if sleep would refuse him, the least he could do to rest was to sit in some steaming water.

Once set up, Felix stepped into the water, slipping in once he got used to the heat. He settled in, leaning his head back against the edge of the tub and closed his eyes. The water soothed the aches in his joints after a night of tending to the light and a day of fitful sleep. Hopefully he could get some rest during his shift that night. While not ideal, if it was necessary to nap during the night watch, he would have to. Better than sleeping through the whole night and risking the lives of sailors going into the port.

Or rather, he could fall asleep in the bath water. It was calming enough to set his mind at ease; with the slightest of his movements, the water would lap up against his chin and he would slip deeper into the water until his nose was just above the surface.

His hands glided over his the skin of his thighs in the water, gently rubbing circles into the sore muscles; 129 steps was a lot, even if he had been running them since he was a child. He continued with his massage, running up and down his thighs until his wrist bumped into his groin.

At the slightest touch, the image of the creature swam into his vision and pressure began to build between his legs. He stifled a groan in the water, letting small bubbles climb to the surface and continued to run his hands low down his thighs, resisting the urge to touch.

Felix bit his lip, trying to erase the beautiful blue of the creature’s eyes from his mind, but the pulsing sensations only worsened and his bath was proving to be the opposite of relaxing.

“Stupid beast,” he spat, hastily getting out of the tub and grabbing a towel to dab himself dry.

If the bed nor the bath would help him rest, he had no choice but to start his evening early. After dressing, he snatched his jacket and coat from the rack and headed outside towards the oil house. His least favorite duty of caring for the light, it was an unfortunate necessity to keep the light lit all night. Thankfully with it being spring, he only needed to haul one canister up the 129 steps.

It was an arduous journey up the length of the lighthouse, but he intended to stay up top all night to make up for his lack of sleep during the day. He gave the lens one good cleaning, filled the oil, and waited for the sun to disappear behind the rocky mountain behind his home to light the wick.

“There,” he said, stepping back and heading down into the service room to give the turning mechanism a crank before he could settle in the watch room and get a few pathetic winks of sleep.

He sat on the weathered chair in the watch room, perched up against the wall beneath his father’s war memorabilia. He remembered as a child, staring at the saber in awe, but his father quickly dismissed his fantasies by recounting the horrors he saw on the battlefield.

It did little to dissuade a young Felix; he still wished for nothing more than to wield the sword.

After several trips up the ladder into the service room to turn the crank, Felix found himself deep into the night. He stepped onto the gallery walk, gazing at the sliver of moon out on the horizon and the trail of white it left on the waves below.

Another calm and still night, much like the one the day before, and yet the sound of crashing waves caught Felix’s attention. He perked his head towards the sound, leaning over the railings to spot the rocks below and again, he saw a mess of blond hair and a cerulean blue tail flapping against shallow waters.

His heart began to hammer in his chest, the sound of pumping blood flooding his ears, but he could still hear the pained moans from the creature below.

Felix darted into the watch room and flew down the spiral stairs, skipping a step or two any chance he got until he ran out of the lighthouse and rounded for the rocks.

His heart leapt at the sight before him, eyes widening in horror. The creature from the night before sat upon the rocks, his tail thrashing against the pull of a spear, buried deep in his flesh. Rivulets of bright red blood pooled over the shimmering scales, briefly staining the rocks below until a small wave would washed it away. The creature pulled, but Felix could see the sharp metal of the tip sticking out of the other end edge closer back into the open wound.

“Don’t!” Felix cried out, moving closer to the beast.

The beast flinched, looking up to meet Felix’s gaze. His lip quivered, but he still attempted to bare his teeth.

“You’re…only going to do yourself more harm,” Felix said, cautiously stepping towards the creature. That lone blue eye seemed to pierce into him once again, but Felix didn’t mind. “Let me help.”

The creature shuddered in a breath, his chest rising slowly, before he glanced down at the spear in his tail and nodded.

“Okay,” Felix whispered to himself, figuring out his options. He darted back for the house, yanking the table cloth from the kitchen table. Once back outside, he ran for the oil shed and found a small hatchet by the door. He turned back to face the lighthouse, taking in a few steady breaths.

The creature remained by the rocks, groaning low and deep each time he touched the wooden handle of the spear.

“Don’t do that,” Felix spat, harsher than he intended. “You’ll…only make it hurt worse.”

The creature held his hand still in the air, mere inches from the spear, before he nodded and pulled it back.

With a nod, Felix closed the distance and kneeled beside the shimmering tail, watching the scales flutter at the pulses of pain going through the creature’s body. Felix grabbed the spear above the creature’s tail and carefully started chipping away at the wood. He knew there would be splinters, and tried his best to brush them aside, but there was only one way to remove the offending object, and it had to be done.

Throughout the chipping, the creature closed his eye tight, sucking air in between his teeth and shaking his fingers against the slippery rock.

Once he had cut through the wooden pole of the spear, Felix tossed it aside and looked down at the stump now protruding from the beast’s tail.

He gently reached down to grip at the small bit of wood under the tail and looked the creature in the eye. “I’m going to pull it out.”

The creature nodded and slowly turned on his side, giving Felix the space to pull out the spear from beneath him. He gathered the table cloth beside the creature, watching the pale white linen slowly soak with red. With his fingers shaking, Felix gripped at the small bit of the wooden shaft on the spear and yanked it from the creature’s tail with a great squelching sound.

The creature cried out in a deep moan, his voice more human than Felix anticipated. Quickly, he tossed the spearhead aside and pressed the cloth to the wound, wrapping it around the front of the creature’s tail to gather the blood at both ends.

The creature was barely holding himself up as Felix continued to wrap the cloth around his tail. Once he tied the ends together, he met the creature’s brilliant blue eye once more, holding his gaze until he remembered how to breathe.

“You, ah, probably shouldn’t go back in there,” he said, staring at the sea water gently lapping up against the rocks. “A shark will get a whiff of your blood and then…”

The creature simply nodded, his body quaking in the evening air.

“I could take you in.” Felix looked out towards him home, yards away from the lighthouse. “Might be difficult to get you there, but I’ve got a tub.”

With a sad sigh, the creature looked out in the water, the marred socket that should have been where his right eye sat blocking Felix’s view of his full complexion.

“Will the salt water…help?”

The creature turned back, his eye wide. He leaned in, his fingers gliding along the rock but stopping just inches from Felix’s hand.

“I can fill a tub with sea water for you. If that will help.”

The creature nodded and Felix could have sworn he saw a bit of pink dust his cheeks.

Felix took in a deep breath and gathered his strength to lift the creature into his arms, gasping at the slimy feel of the tail on his hand. The creature threw his arms around Felix’s neck, holding tight.

Felix felt the slightest flutter from the gills on the creature’s side and tried to shake off the goosebumps that flashed across his skin. It was the exact distraction he didn’t need when tasked with carrying the creature towards his home. He was much heavier than Felix anticipated, though if he could carry oil barrels up the length of the lighthouse, he could surely carry this creature into his house.

He kicked open the door, surprised to see Glenn welcoming him with an irritated meow that startled the creature in his arms.

“H-hey, calm down, it’s just a cat!”

The creature huffed, his eye following Glenn until the cat hissed at him and he hissed back, with much more vitriol.

Felix groaned, nearly dropping the creature in the tub that was still sitting in the kitchen. “Listen, you two better get along, alright?”

Glenn growled in his throat and the creature just kept his eye on the cat, overly cautious.

“I’ll be back.”

After several trips, Felix managed to fill the tub with salt water up to the creature’s wound. He took in a sharp breath through his teeth as the water poured over the area, still staining the table cloth with blood. But once it had settled, he relaxed his shoulders against the edge of the tub, the bottom fins of his tail hanging out over the other end.

Felix pulled up a chair, bringing it beside the creature and leaned over, elbows on his knees. He’d have to get back up to the light soon. Dawn was still a little ways away, but he needed…

He wasn’t quite sure what he needed. The previous night, he felt the meeting was nothing more than a dream, but that proved to be false. Felix had just spent his evening saving and tending to the wounds of what could only be described as a merperson. Fish folk.

A siren, perhaps.

But he sang no songs, wove no web of disaster. He barely even led Felix to a watery grave. He was helpless, wounded. And Felix had saved him twice.

Felix sighed, tilting his head up to see the creature staring about the room.

“Felix,” he said shortly. “My name is Felix.”

The creature turned his head and moved his lips silently in what could have been Felix’s name. He looked down at the water, his hand floating over the surface that slowly turned red from the wound.

“I’ll change those bandages when I’m done working for the night,” he said, trying not to think about how much more blood the creature was losing. “I’ve got a salve that might help, too. But you said the salt water would help, yeah?”

The creature nodded, his eye still locked on the hasty wrapping around his tail.

“Good,” Felix said, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. “I’ll be back in a few hours, once the sun rises. And I’ll take Glenn with me so he doesn’t bother you.”

He walked towards the door, his hand hovering over door frame when behind him he heard, in a deep, resonate voice.

“Felix…”

Slowly he turned, meeting that haunting blue eye once more, and spotted the slightest of smiles on the creature’s lips.

“Thank you.”

* * *

Felix paid little mind to the rest of his duties that night.

“Dimitri,” the creature had said from the tub. “You may…call me Dimitri.”

The sound of his voice haunted Felix to his core, washing over him even when it was just a memory. He yearned to be back in his house, to hear more, to run his fingers through those yellow locks, to…

He grimaced, trying to bring himself back to reality when it was time to give the turning mechanism once last crank for the night. He could have left right then and there, but it was important that he be a man of his word.

“You told him sunrise, Felix,” he whispered to himself. “It’s not like he’s going anywhere.”

The last few hours of his watched dragged on and Felix kept his eyes ahead on the horizon, willing to sun to rise so he could return to Dimitri.

 _Dimitri_.

He had a name, he had a voice. He seemed more than just a wounded creature, sitting in a tub in his kitchen. Felix needed to know more.

After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, the sun began to creep over the horizon. Felix hastily climbed up through the hatch to the lantern room to extinguish the light. He made a note to himself to clean the lens once he returned for the next night; for the moment, he had to get back to Dimitri.

He glided down the steps of the lighthouse and Glenn could hardly keep up behind him. As he darted towards his home, his heart began to beat faster and faster, as if the view before him would change. He opened the door and at the sound of it creaking, Dimitri lifted his head.

“Good morning,” he said through a small smile.

Felix’s mind went blank. He simply stared, brought in by the warmth he felt from Dimitri’s smile and the shade of blue in his eye. Even the garish scar on the right side of his face did little to break his trance.

Glenn hopped into the house behind him, nudging his head up against Felix’s leg; it was enough to get a response out of Felix.

“Ah, morning,” he said, coughing into his hand. After hanging up his coat and hat, he walked over to the water and cringed at the shade of red that shimmered at the surface. “I should replace your water and change out your bandages. How’s the wound?”

Dimitri moved slightly in the water and winced. “Hurts,” he choked out, resting his arms against the edge of the tub.

Felix nodded, biting his lip. He didn’t want to think about the pain Dimitri was experiencing, but looking at the way his face twisted as he moved in the tub sent a shock up his spine. “Let me get that salve and some fresh wrappings.”

Felix could feel that bright blue eye follow him as he went upstairs. He turned into his childhood bedroom, where Sylvain normally slept when he decided to stay over against Felix’s wishes, and tugged the bedsheet out from under the neatly tucked comforter. Slowly, he began to tear it into strips.

“Sylvain can deal,” he said under his breath as he separated the sheet into four long strips and dangled them over his arm. He went back into the hall to head back downstairs, lying the strips on the kitchen table before walking over to the pantry. He rummaged through until he found a small tin jar of healing salve.

He brought that to the table as well and stared down at Dimitri.

“I’m…gonna pick you up and set you on the chair. Will that be okay?”

Dimitri nodded, lifting up his elbows to brace himself to be carried out of the tub.

Leaning down, Felix rolled up his sleeves and slipped one arm around Dimitri’s back and the other beneath his tail. He braced himself, but Dimitri aided as best he could, holding tight around Felix’s neck as Felix hoisted him from the tub and sat him upon the chair. Pale pink water dripped down Dimitri’s tail, pooling on the floor beneath the chair, but Felix kept his eyes on the wrapping; the table cloth, once a soft ivory, was now stained with blood.

He took in a breath while he reached for the knot he tied the previous night and looked up at Dimitri.

“Ready?”

Dimitri nodded, gripping at the back of the chair and edge of the table for balance.

Slowly and methodically, Felix unraveled the cloth from Dimitri’s tail, preparing himself for the worst. The wound was deep and ghastly the previous night, but when he looked up at the unwrapped tail, he saw the wound had miraculously closed up. The flesh was still bare, a bulbous pink monstrosity rising over the delicate blue scales of Dimitri’s tail, but Felix was anticipating it to look worse.

“Wow,” he said, his hand moving beside the wound on instinct. “You weren’t kidding about the salt water.”

He looked up, meeting Dimitri’s eye, and stared until his cheeks ran hot.

“Ah,” he said, stumbling over the words in his head. “Hand me the…salve? It’s in the metal tin.”

Dimitri looked over on the table, his brows knitting together in the center of his head; Felix didn’t even think that he might not know what those words meant; he could speak, so surely he could understand what Felix meant. But as a creature of the sea, would he truly know what a metal tin was?

Thankfully, he grabbed the right item — not like Felix left much on the table — and handed it over to Felix.

Felix unscrewed the top and gave a small chuckle at the way Dimitri’s nose flared up at the smell of the contents inside.

“It’s not the most pleasant stuff,” Felix started, swirling his fingers through the thick paste, “but it does a good job at healing nasty wounds.”

He looked up at Dimitri, meeting that eye once more, and waited for him to nod before applying the salve. With careful attention, he swirled the paste over the warm, pink wound on Dimitri’s tail. As careful as he was, though, Dimitri still gripped tightly to the chair, using enough force to cause a crack in the wood.

Felix looked up, wide eyed at the split down the thick, wooden back of the chair. “Oh…”

“Sorry,” Dimitri huffed, out of breath.

Felix shook his head, getting another scoop of the salve before lifting the bottom of Dimitri’s tail to coat the other side of the wound.

“It’s not pleasant,” Felix warned again; he didn’t think Dimitri would be so strong, despite the muscular build of his torso.

Dimitri was more careful to brace himself, breathing slowly throughout Felix’s application on the underside of his tail.

Felix closed the tin and stood up to grab the shreds of bed sheet to wind around Dimitri’s tail. While he wrapped, he let his fingers glide over the smooth scales on Dimitri’s tail, a chill running up his spine at the slight twinkling sound they made as they brushed into one another.

Dimitri shivered above him and Felix drew his hand back, looking up in slight horror. But Dimitri was smiling, the ghost of a laugh on his lap.

“I’m sorry, did that…?”

“Tickles,” Dimitri said, resting his hand over Felix’s, pressing his fingers into the scales on his tail. “It’s fine, I liked it.”

His fingers were cold, yet oddly soothing as heat creeped down Felix’s neck. He shook his head, wrestling himself back from his trance, to finish wrapping up the wound.

“I’ll dump the tub,” he said, standing up. “Fill it with fresh water for you.”

As he pulled the tub out the front door, he caught a glance at Dimitri, awkwardly propped up on the chair. His eyes continued to scan the room about him, probably intrigued at the new angle he found himself in, and Felix smiled until the door shut, cutting off his view.

The sun was significantly higher in the sky by the time Felix scrubbed the tub out and got it filled with fresh salt water for Dimitri.

Once he succeeded in placing Dimitri back in the tub, he turned for the stairs, ready to finally get the sleep that was threatening his eyes.

“Where,” Dimitri called out, gripping the edge of his tub, “where are you going?”

Felix tilted his head, glancing up the stairs before looking back towards Dimitri. “Bed. I’ve been up all night tending to the light and, ah, you.” He shifted his vision towards the floor on the last word. “I need to sleep before my next shift.”

“Oh,” Dimitri said, and the deflation in his voice settled in Felix’s chest. “Sleep well, then.”

“Yeah,” Felix whispered out. “Thanks.”

* * *

The moment Felix fell onto his mattress that morning, he immediately fell asleep. His dreams were filled with visions of clear blue water and the bell-like sound of Dimitri’s scales running through soft waves. He hadn’t slept so soundly in years, not since before his brother’s death.

When he woke up, Glenn was sitting on his chest, pawing at his nose.

“Get off, cat,” he groaned, sitting up until Glenn leapt to the floor, meowing loudly to be fed.

Felix rubbed the sleep from his eyes and walked towards the window, noticing the bright orange hue of the sky; sunset would be soon, which meant less time to spend with Dimitri before he had to begin his nightly duties up at the lighthouse. He quickly dressed, running down the stairs to spot Dimitri’s arms folded over the edge of the tub, his chin tucked within the crook of his elbow and his eye closed. Every so often, his long, pale lashes would flutter with his breath, leaving Felix transfixed.

Glenn was able to bring him back to reality, though, giving a hearty meow as he leapt onto the kitchen table.

“Hey, get down! Or I won’t feed you until morning.”

With a snap from Felix’s fingers, Glenn hopped off the table to the floor, resuming his incessant yelling.

Felix walked over to the ice box, grabbing the jar of fish heads, and opened it up with a pop. The salty smell of the jar’s contents filled the room and Dimitri’s nose twitched as he woke from his sleep.

“That smell…”

Glenn’s cries overpowered the deep rumble of Dimitri’s voice, his claws dragging down the fabric of Felix’s pants.

“Ah, watch it!” He shook Glenn off his leg as he presented him a fish head and plopped it into the metal tin on the floor.

Felix’s fingers dripped with the slimy water from the jar. Dimitri moved about in the tub, the water sloshing within and spilling over the edge.

Glancing over, Felix noticed the sleepy droop of Dimitri’s eyelid and the faint smile on his lips.

“What do you have there?” Dimitri asked through a yawn. He adjusted himself in the tub, leaning against the back and dangling his arm over the edge. The end of his tail was flopped over the edge of the tub, translucent blue fins giving Felix a faded view of the room behind it.

Felix looked down into the jar, his nose turning up the longer he had to endure the smell. “Fish heads. Glenn likes them.”

Dimitri leaned his head back, taking in a long breath through his nose. “I can tell why.”

“Do you…want one?”

Leaning forward, Dimitri’s eye slid into a narrow slit, the blue shining bright in limited space. “Yes,” he said, low and strident.

Felix felt a shiver run up his spine, but he was even more drawn to Dimitri than before. He pulled out another head from the jar, unperturbed by the slimy texture, and walked over to Dimitri.

Slowly, he opened his mouth for Felix, his tongue gliding along the back of his teeth. Felix gulped and dropped the fish head into Dimitri’s gapping maw, his eyes locked as Dimitri swallowed it whole.

Dimitri smacked his lips, licking off the salty brine covering his lips. He seemed lost in the moment of the fish head, only to snap out of his own trance with a flush of red on his cheeks.

“I…apologize, Felix, I…”

“You must be hungry,” Felix said flatly, realizing too late that perhaps he should be getting food for Dimitri as well as tending to his wound.

Dimitri slipped into the water, resting his chin on the surface as his tail flapped over the edge. “Yes, I didn’t mean to act in such a way, I’ve just been…”

“Yeah,” Felix said, cutting him off. “I’ll run into town in the morning when the markets open. Get some fresh fish for you.”

“Thank you.”

Felix could only nod in response, the sky darkening outside letting him know that it was time to head up to the light. He gave Dimitri the jar to finish the remaining fish heads and beckoned Glenn to follow him up to the light.

It felt as if time had slowed with every step Felix took up towards to top. For every window he passed on the spiral stairs, he gazed out until his home came into view, hoping to see a little bit of Dimitri through the window. At one point, he thought he saw the door open and he ran back down until the next window showed it to be shut.

“Must be imagining things,” Felix mumbled, holding his gaze before stepping back up, Glenn nudging his heels to urge him up to the light.

Dimitri was healing and now he had some food — Felix still felt foolish for not considering that bit. There was no need for Felix to worry so much for him. And perhaps it wasn’t worry, but yearning to be in his presence. Oftentimes throughout that night, when he went to wind the crank for the light, Sylvain’s words about the call of the siren would echo in his head. Could his pull to Dimitri be something so devious? It didn’t feel that way for Felix, but he still had his doubts when he noticed that during each lull between turnings and other duties, he was looking down at his home instead of out towards the sea.

He grumbled under his breath, deciding the bide his time cleaning the lens and sweeping the stairs, anything to busy his hands. But his mind remained consumed.

Once dawn broke, Felix sighed with relief and quickly extinguished the light and ran down the length of the lighthouse. He stared at the door of the house before him when he made it to ground level, preparing himself to hold his resolve around Dimitri; he was helping him to heal, nothing more.

Glenn walked ahead of him, nudging the door open with his paw and running for a small wet spot on the floor, surrounded by shattered glass.

“Hey, careful!”

“Good morning, Felix,” Dimitri hummed, curled within the tight space of the tub.

“Ah, morning,” he mumbled back, hiding his face as he leaned over to inspect the broken bits of glass on the floor glass. “Are you alright? What happened.”

“O-oh! That was the jar!” Dimitri spoke quickly, his lip shivering. “It slipped while I was…eating.”

It made sense; slippery fingers and glass didn’t mix too well, but something else seem slightly off. While the smell of the fish heads and brine filled the room, Felix caught a slight hint of something sickeningly sweet hanging in the air. It only caught Felix’s nose briefly, but enough for him to turn his head.

He shook off the feeling of unease, picking up and depositing the broken glass pieces in the waste bin and brushing his hands off the front of his coat.

“I’m going out for a bit,” he said, not wanting to meet Dimitri’s eye for fear of losing himself. “Get you some fresh fish and, uh…”

“Alright.”

Dimitri sounded almost sad, but Felix shook his head once more, and turned to head back outside.

He tried not to rush, but there was only so much time Felix could stand being among other people. He had a notorious reputation throughout town as the ornery lighthouse keeper; people were thankful for his service, for keeping sailors and fishermen safe on dark and stormy nights, but they kept their distance. As did he.

Felix had no time for small talk; Sylvain was tiring enough when he came to visit. A simple nod and a thank you after making a purchase was all he needed to get by. He was well suited to his job, he thought, and he had more important matters to attend to, anyway.

After making his selections, he hurried back to the house, eager to see Dimitri smile again, to hear him speak.

The moment he opened the door, Dimitri’s nose perked up. That smile spread across his lips and Felix felt warm all over. “I…got some fish.”

Dimitri merely nodded, moving in the tub so he was hanging out the front of it.

With a hard swallow, Felix unwrapped the package, taking a small cod in his hands and watching how its scales gleamed in the morning light creeping in through the windows; he turned, wanting to see what Dimitri’s would look like this morning.

Instead, he was met with a wide eye, nearly black as his pupil overtook the calm blue. He licked his lips and Felix could see the fangs from their first meeting poke out from behind his teeth.

He swallowed hard and stepped carefully towards Dimitri, presenting the fish. Felix flinched as Dimitri snatched it from his hands, devouring the flesh as blood trailed down his chin towards his chest, settling in the water below.

Glenn cried out at the foot of the tub and Dimitri immediately hissed before he shook his head out of the moment, looking up at Felix with worry.

“You’re hungry,” Felix said, coughing into his hand; even drenched in blood, Dimitri was still so fetching. “He’ll get over it.”

Dimitri nodded, picking out a piece of the raw cod and dropping it to the floor below. “My apologies, Glenn.”

The cat eagerly ate it up, as if the altercation with Dimitri had never happened, and Felix laughed.

Dimitri’s head flinched up, the edges of his mouth covered in blood and fish guts. “What is it?”

Felix shook his head, wrapping the other fish back up to put in the ice box; he would salt them properly later when he woke up. “I’m just…it’s nice to see you two getting along.”

“O-oh.”

There was silence as Dimitri finished the fish, letting the lacework of bone fall to the floor. He took a handful of the water and rinsed off his face, looking up at Felix with beads of water along his lashes.

“Will you be heading to bed now?”

Felix nodded, taking in a deep breath as he stared down the hall towards the stairs. “Yes.”

“Do most humans sleep when the sun rises?”

With a dry laugh, Felix shook his head. “No, just me. It’s all part of the job.”

The water slapped against the sides of the tub as Dimitri rested his arms along the edge, letting his chin sit upon his wrist as he stared at Felix.

It was an image Felix wished to have burned in his memory forever. “What of your kind?”

Dimitri opened his mouth, a sad smile on his lips, and looked out towards the window. “We’re…not too familiar with the sun. We sleep when it is necessary.”

“Oh…”

“But,” Dimitri started, the sparkle returning to his eye, the sunlight bathing his features in a golden glow, “I try to see it as often as I can. It’s quite beautiful.”

_Not nearly as beautiful as you._

Felix choked, catching his thoughts before they could escape from his mouth. “I’ll…see you in the evening then…”

He stood up, nearly tripping over the floor boards down the hall, but stopped at the sound of his name in that voice.

“Felix!”

Slowly, he turned, and the sun cast a halo-like glow behind Dimitri’s head. He smiled, reaching out his hand. “Sleep well.”

Felix was unsure what summoned his legs to take him back into the kitchen, to kneel beside the tub and hold Dimitri’s chin in his hands, flitting his eyes from bright blue down to plump pink. The call of the siren was truly strong, or perhaps this was something else.

He closed his eyes, leaned in close, and kissed Dimitri.

His heart nearly stopped and for a moment, he forgot to breathe; wet fingers slid up his neck to cradle the the back of his head as Dimitri kissed him back.

Felix felt lost, but with no desire to be found; not even the pungent taste of raw fish could turn him away from the warmth of Dimitri’s tongue on his own. It wasn’t until Glenn howled, nearly scratching at his leg, that he pulled back, trying to remember how to take a proper breath.

Dimitri laughed, only a small breath of one, and settled back into the water.

A haze filled Felix’s brain as he stood up and his feet managed to take him up the stairs and into bed.

In his dreams, he kissed Dimitri a thousand times.

It wasn’t enough.


	3. dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix groaned, closing his eyes and letting the cool night wind catch the loose strands of his hair. The wind carried a familiar scent and Felix turned up his nose at the sickeningly sweet smell. His eyes flashed open and he looked around the gallery. No one but him. He looked back and stuck his head into the watch room; empty, as usual. But he had caught this scent before; one so sweet he could never forget it.
> 
> He walked back onto the deck and looked down at the water below, spotting a woman standing at the edge of the rocks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Dimilix Week day 3: **dance.**
> 
> Big thanks to [twixt_haw_and_thorne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twixt_haw_and_thorne/pseuds/twixt_haw_and_thorne) (on ao3) / [Mechanist Macha](https://twitter.com/Mechanist_Macha) (on Twitter) for the illustrating the scene at the end!! Check them out on Twitter. Felix's expression just gets to me. 🥺

Sleep had a strong hold on Felix, but a slight breeze filtering under the covers was enough to rouse him. He pulled at the sheets, taken aback at their sudden warmth once he was able to close off the oncoming chill. He nestled his head against the pillow, surprised to find a new heat surrounding his face, encircling his waist. His eyes fluttered open, one brilliant blue eye smiling down at him.

“You’re awake,” Dimitri said softly, brushing back Felix’s hair and kissing him upon his brow.

“Dimitri,” his mouth mumbled, sleep still swirling in his mind as he reached around and held Dimitri close, shivering as cold toes trailed up his legs. “Why are your feet so cold?”

It took a few moments after Dimitri’s awkward laugh for the pieces to come together.

Dimitri was in his bed, Dimitri had…toes?

Felix rose in a frenzy, tossing back the sheets and staring down upon Dimitri’s form; human and nude. He looked up along pale legs, awkwardly twisted within Felix’s and his eyes stopped at Dimitri’s hips, a hot flush filling his face.

“What…why do you…?” Felix fumbled to the opposite side of the bed, but Dimitri sat up, holding the covers to his chest.

“Felix?”

“You…had a tail! This morning, you had a tail and scales and fins and…”

Dimitri lowered his head, staring intently at his trembling hand gripping the sheets. “Yes, I did…”

“Where did those legs come from?!”

“To be truthful,” Dimitri said, glancing up tentatively at Felix, “I am unsure.”

“Human!” Felix spat out once more, lifting up the sheets to stare at legs, only to be distracted at what sat between Dimitri’s thighs. “Fuck, it’s huge,” his lips mumbled in a whisper.

“I am surprised to only have one…”

“ _Only_ have one!?”

Dimitri covered himself once more, pink peppering the tips of his ears. “In my other form, I have…”

“Don’t tell me!” Felix’s words rushed from his mouth, his mind filling with dirty thoughts of everything he apparently didn’t see of Dimitri in his merman form. Slowly, he caught his breath, meeting Dimitri’s gaze and swallowing hard. “I suppose I should…get clothes for you?”

“Clothes…”

Felix slipped out of bed, walking over to his armoire and pulling open a low drawer. “Pants, a shirt. Humans, we…cover up.”

“Ah, yes,” Dimitri said, his legs spilling over the edge of the bed, the bedsheets still covering him in the middle.

“It’s to keep warm, and,” he coughed, “decent.”

Dimitri nodded, his fingers curling at the edge of the sheets.

Pulling out a pair of light cotton pants, he held them up. “I don’t know if these will fit. Could you…stand up?”

Dimitri bit at his lower lip, grabbing the edge of the bed as he stood on uneasy legs. He was fine for a moment, but once he lost his grip he began to tumble over and Felix ran over to catch him in his arms.

Just barely.

As a man, Dimitri was huge. Felix understood how he was so heavy as a merman with his long fish-like tail, but his human form was tall and muscular. And absolutely hopeless on two legs.

“How did you make it up here?”

“With great difficulty,” Dimitri laughed, and the lilt of it stirred something deep within Felix.

“Yeah,” Felix nodded, “I bet.” He helped Dimitri to just sit at the edge of the bed. He looked up, trying to ignore the dopey smile on Dimitri’s face and the numbness it caused in his hands.

He tossed a pair of trousers to the bed and moved back to the armoire, his eyes scanning over the shirts he had hanging up; it would be such a shame to cover up such a beautiful body, and with any luck, Felix’s shirts would do little to cover most of Dimitri’s chest. Shaking his head, he grabbed one and walked back to the bed.

“Here,” he said, tossing it at Dimitri. “Put that on.”

Dimitri held the thin linen fabric in his hands, tilting his head as he rubbed it between his fingers. “How…”

Felix groaned, rolling his eyes; how this man managed to be so irritating and yet simultaneously perfect was a wonder. “It goes over your arms,” Felix said, demonstrating in over the top movements.

Dimitri stared, only nodding his head once the tension eased from his brow. He held it up, inspecting the buttons on the front and put the blouse on backwards.

“Are you…” Felix grumbled, walking over to disrobe Dimitri and help him with the shirt.

“I do apologize, Felix, but in the water, we don’t…”

“Yeah, I get it,” Felix said shortly, with more attitude than he intended. He coughed, trying to bite back his tone as he guided Dimitri’s fingers to clasp the buttons together. “It might be a bit small.” He kept his eyes focused until the shirt began to pull over Dimitri’s chest.

Dimitri smiled, turning his gaze back to Felix. “I look just like you.”

Felix cursed the heat at his cheeks as he held the pants in his hands. Dimitri still kept the sheets over his middle.

_I am surprised to only have one._

The words echoed in Felix’s mind and he felt filthy in how he admitted the mere size of Dimitri’s “only one.” He was acutely curious of how large it was in his merfolk form.

He kneeled at Dimitri’s feet. They were pale and completed devoid of callouses; they were probably softer than a baby’s foot, but Felix bit back the urge to touch. He swallowed and held the pants open at Dimitri’s feet.

“I’ll help you get into the pants.”

Dimitri nodded, gently kicking his feet over the edge of the bed as Felix caught them in each pant leg.

“Good, now…”

He looked up, trying to prepare himself for what he would see. “I’m going to pull them up, so I might need your help. Can you stand?”

“If I may use you as a support, perhaps.”

Felix nodded and as Dimitri got to his feet, the sheets fell. Thoughts ran through Felix’s mind of what sat just above his head, but he kept calm as Dimitri held onto his shoulders, keeping himself steady on uneasy legs.

Felix tugged up the pants and noticed how tight they were pulling at the seams. He shook his head and kept pulling, only stopping when he noticed the bright pink scar on Dimitri’s left thigh, just above his knee.

“Your injury,” he said, his thumb brushing over the pink skin.

“Y-yes, I noticed it…”

“…stayed.”

He almost looked up, but took in a breath and continued to pull, shutting his eyes once he got a glance at the pale insides of Dimitri’s thighs. Up and over his bottom, Dimitri was finally clothed. Or just barely.

He stood awkwardly beside the bed, still holding onto Felix. The clothes looked moments from exploding off his body, the seams stretching and pulling as he merely breathed.

“You should probably,” Felix started in a swallow, “lace up the front of these.”

Dimitri nodded, keeping a question on his tongue.

“Do you want me to help you down the stairs?”

“Please.”

Felix took Dimitri’s hand, indulging in the feeling of warm fingers lacing between his own. Had it truly been that long since he held another person’s hand? Perhaps in his childhood, as his brother led him up the stairs to the light. Or when his father was upon his death bed, shaking fingers wishing for any sort of comfort.

But this was unlike either of those memories. This was warm, almost fleeting, which made Felix hold on even tighter.

Dimitri kept his eyes to the floor, gripping the wall with his other hand as he stepped carefully on the wood floor.

“I must admit,” Dimitri said in a swallow. “When I made it up to the top of the stairs, I had to crawl the rest of the way towards you.”

Felix laughed and squeezed Dimitri’s hand once more. “I’m sure that was a sight.”

“Yes, but not as catching as the sight of you asleep.”

Felix looked up, his foot hovering over the first step going down, and lost himself once more in the warmth of that eye, in the sincerity of Dimitri’s smile. He faltered, hand slipping off the bannister and tumbled down the steps. Dimitri reached out to catch him, but his attempts were futile as the two of them fell down each step, landing at the bottom in each other’s arms.

Dimitri laughed, an obvious seam ripped at his sleeve, but cradled Felix’s head in his hands. “I suppose we both need some practice.”

Felix grumbled, trying to get up off the floor, still tangled within Dimitri’s awkward limbs. “I don’t…”

“Oh, Felix!”

As Felix attempted to stand, Dimitri’s hand fell to Felix’s temple. He winced, uncertain of the source of the pain, until Dimitri’s fingers revealed a small amount of blood.

“Your fault,” Felix mumbled under his breath as he finally made it to his feet, guiding Dimitri up with him.

With Dimitri’s arm slung over his shoulder, Felix took him into the kitchen, placing him on the slightly broken kitchen chair. Low, squishing sounds welcomed him into the room, and one glance down told him all he needed to know:

The tub had been knocked over, water covering the floor, spilling out the crack of the front door and warping the wood at his feet.

“I apologize,” Dimitri said, hanging his head low. “It happened so suddenly, I…”

“Don’t,” Felix started in a snap, catching himself in time to settle his temper, “apologize. I understand. Maybe.”

With a shake of his head, he reached over the table for the salve, still there in its tin, but Dimitri’s hand followed, resting on Felix’s wrist.

“Let me,” he said softly as Felix’s fingers lifted from the metal tin.

Dimitri grabbed the tin and though his fingers fumbled over the lid at first, he managed to pop it off, taking a generous amount onto his fingers and leaning towards Felix. Gently, he dabbed at Felix’s temple, rubbing it in soothing circles until the dull pain ebbed away.

“A small way to repay you for taking such good care of me.”

Felix nodded, his chest aching at the absence of Dimitri’s fingers on him. He could have sworn he was still asleep, still dreaming, but the lingering warmth of Dimitri’s touch couldn’t just be shaken away. He wanted to lean in, to kiss him once more, but the sinking light of the sun told him such an act would have to wait.

For now.

* * *

Felix spent as much time as he could with Dimitri, once he had mopped up the floor and fixed them both a grilled fish dinner. Dimitri had been hesitant at first, but ate up his meal as enthusiastically as he did the raw fish from earlier that day.

The two men spent some time getting Dimitri more accustomed to his legs, taking short walks across the kitchen floor until the sun sat so low in the sky that Felix couldn’t waste another minute. The thought of another kiss lingered in his mind, but he shook it off, donning his coat and hat and walking out towards the oil house.

Each night up at the light since saving Dimitri had gone by longer than the previous. Felix was pained to be away from the mysterious man, spending the night staring longingly down at his home instead of out at sea.

At one point, he couldn’t stand it any longer; the sun would still be a few hours before it peaked over the horizon, but he ran down the stairs without any regard to his duties, busting open the door to spot Dimitri sitting at the kitchen table, his fingers scanning the pages of a book.

He looked up, eye wide in surprise. “Felix, it’s not yet…”

Felix ran to him, grabbing hold of his jaw and kissing Dimitri hard on the lips; he couldn’t wait a moment longer.

Dimitri reached up, running his fingers up along Felix’s hair until he knocked off his cap, pulling Felix closer in, panting against his mouth.

Felix moaned, blushing at the sound he made, but kept his eyes shut tight, kissing Dimitri deeper until he needed to break for air.

A lidded eye, flushed cheeks, wet lips; Dimitri gazed up at him, his chin tilted up as if ready for more.

Felix stumbled back, reaching over to pick up his hat and place it back on his head. “Just…wanted to check in on you.”

He ran out of the house and back up to the top of the light before Dimitri could utter another word.

* * *

Dawn eventually came and with it, a sigh of relief from Felix. He had always accepted his role as keeper of the light since taking on the mantle two years ago; he had learned to accept the burden as his role, not once wishing for his life to take another course. Until, of course, something appeared on the Earth below, making every moment up at the light ache within his chest.

Dimitri.

In a few short days, he had found a strange creature, tended to him and cared for him, and even found himself falling in…

Felix nearly stumbled down the last set of stairs in the lighthouse as the thought threatened his mind. He held firm against the brick, taking in a few breaths before taking his last few steps back to Earth.

Dimitri, once again, waited patiently for him, smiling as beams of dawn glowed upon his face. “Good morning, Felix,” he said, Glenn curled up in his lap at the kitchen table.

“Looks like he’s getting used to you.” Felix chanced a smile at the sight, hanging his hat and coat at the rack by the door.

“Ah, yes,” Dimitri said, trailing his fingers along Glenn’s back. “He’s quite soft and much kinder than he was when I was still…”

Felix breathed out a low laugh, walking over and kneeling down to rustle Glenn’s fur at the top of his head. The cat growled low, but only curled up tighter in Dimitri’s lap. “I’m glad.”

Suddenly, Dimitri put his hand on Felix’s head, catching a strand of inky hair on his finger and pushing it behind Felix’s ear. “You’re tired,” Dimitri said softly.

Felix looked up, nodding without thought, and leaned into the touch. He’d be content to sleep like this, but the moment Dimitri stirred, Glenn leapt from his lap, circling around Felix’s knees and begging for food.

“I fed him,” Dimitri said sternly, standing up and gripping he table for support. “He’s quite needy.”

“Cats,” Felix hummed in agreement. “You’re doing well on your legs.”

While still needing some support, Dimitri was much more sturdy on his legs, reaching his free hand down to pull Felix up from the floor.

“I did some practicing while you were working!” Dimitri smiled, looking down at Glenn. “He helped.”

“That’s surprising.”

“I even,” Dimitri started, clearing his throat as blush peppered his cheeks, “practiced on the stairs.”

Felix couldn’t hold back his smirk. Standing back, he held out his hand, pointing towards the stairs down the hall. “Show me.”

Dimitri laughed, though he kept his head low as he took careful steps around the kitchen chair. He kept his arms up as he walked down the hall, prepared to brace himself as if he were ready to fall over. But his movements were surprisingly graceful, considering his size and his experience on two legs.

Felix found his eyes scanning low on his body, at the way the too tight pants hugged at Dimitri’s hips. Shaking his head, he followed the man, watching as he looked up the stairs with great resolve.

Dimitri took a deep breath and Felix expected at least one button to pop off his shirt in the process. With a firm hold on the railing, Dimitri placed his bare foot on the first step, carrying his whole body with him until both feet met side by side.

He breathed out, turning over to Felix with a wide smile on his lips, blond hair flowing in his wake. “See?”

“Wow,” Felix breathed out, his mind reeling.

“And I can make it the whole way up the stairs like this!”

Laughing, Felix shook his head as Dimitri continued up the stairs, careful step by careful step, until he made it to the landing on the second floor. He stood there, arms open to welcome Felix up the steps.

It was something Felix did every night, multiple times even, but for some reason he found Dimitri’s pride in such a simple skill exhilarating. He flew up the stairs, falling into Dimitri’s arms, and holding him tight around the waist.

For moments, they stood like that, Felix still on the last step before the landing. Dimitri’s fingers traced the line of Felix’s jaw, until he broke the silence with an awkward laugh. “Shall we…?”

Felix nodded, not knowing what was on Dimitri’s mind, only focused on his own desires roiling low in his belly. He dragged Dimitri into his room, itching to tear off the man’s clothes, but his fingers would only move so fast.

“I should get you something to wear to bed,” he mumbled, fingers slipping over buttons that miraculously stayed on throughout the night.

Dimitri grabbed his wrists, pulling them apart to lean in close, resting his forehead against Felix’s. “I can take care of this,” he whispered, the sound piercing through Felix’s skin and shocking his very bones.

Felix let his hands fall from Dimitri’s hold and walked over to his armoire, grabbing two night shirts from the rack. He turned, coming face to face with Dimitri’s bare back, and stared at the way his muscles rolled over his form, as if carved from marble. Felix continued to stare, lost in the beauty before him, until Dimitri bent over to slip off the trousers. Felix spun on his heel, burying his face in the fabric of the night shirts with just a simple glance of Dimitri’s bottom stuck in his memory.

“Felix, do you have…”

“Here,” Felix choked out, holding one of the night shirts in Dimitri’s general direction. “Just slip it over your head.”

He cursed as he felt the warmth of Dimitri’s smile on his back paired with the gentlest brush of fingers against skin as he took one of the night shirts from Felix’s hands. Felix ran into a corner of the room to quickly dress, hoping Dimitri wouldn’t notice.

The creaking of the bed frame caught Felix’s attention and he turned, surprised to see Dimitri succeeded in dressing himself and now sitting upon the bed.

“Oh, I can sleep in another room if you want to use my bed.”

Dimitri cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowed up over his eyes. “Why would you use another room?”

Felix wondered himself, his chest suddenly growing tight. “I…”

“I much enjoyed sleeping beside you yesterday,” Dimitri said, his head falling slightly and a small smile on his lips.

_I did as well._

Felix swallowed hard and walked to the opposite side of his bed, climbing onto it and slipping under the covers.

Dimitri joined with a hum, snuggling close and wrapping his arms around Felix. “I like how warm you are,” he whispered along the shell of Felix’s ear, placing a kiss at the corner of his jaw.

Felix shuddered; he couldn’t help but bury his face against Dimitri’s chest. He wasn’t sure how much time passed before he fell asleep, but he only wished for Dimitri’s hold to grow tighter.

* * *

Felix couldn’t be sure what was a dream and what was reality: kisses placed along his jaw, on his neck; fingers running over fabric until they met skin; legs entangled and breath hot.

His eyes felt heavy as they eventually opened and he was splayed out on the bed, alone.

Perhaps it _had_ all been a dream. No Dimitri, just him.

He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, when the scent of grilled fish filled his nose.

“Dimitri?” He yawned out the name as he slipped out of bed and wandered down the stairs.

The tall framed man greeted Felix as he stepped into the kitchen.

“Oh, you’re awake!”

Felix just laughed, happy that Dimitri was still there, that his whole existence wasn’t limited to his dreams. “Are you cooking?”

“Yes, well…”

Still under the control of sleep, Felix grabbed at the sides of Dimitri’s night shift, pulling him close and standing on his tiptoes to press their lips together.

“Hey, Fe!”

Suddenly, his body jolted awake. He turned his head, spotting Sylvain seated at the kitchen table with a sickening grin on his lips.

“I was just having a chat with your new friend here.”

“Yes! Sylvain, is it? He’s been quite kind. He showed me how to use your kitchen equipment! I wanted to make some dinner for you, so…”

Felix was frozen, unable to process the situation; Dimitri still had the usual bright look to his smile, but Sylvain held nothing but mischief in his.

“G-go…upstairs and get dressed. I’ll take care of dinner.”

“Oh, alright, should I…”

“Just go!”

Sylvain stifled a laugh as Dimitri walked out of the kitchen, continuously looking back over his shoulder until he was out of sight.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Felix slammed his palm on the kitchen table, glaring down into Sylvain’s hazel eyes.

Sylvain simply shrugged, leaning back in his seat until the front two legs hovered over the ground. “On another delivery circuit. You know the life. So, who’s Mr. Dreamy?”

Felix practically dug his nails into the wood but instead, he took a step back and stared at the charred piece of fish on the stove; perhaps he could still salvage the meat inside.

“He came to port the other day,” he lied, scraping the fish off the pan and walked to the ice box to prep another one. “Lost at sea, no memories. No one else in town could take him in, so…”

“Huh, that’s interesting. A story like that would have made the rounds in town.”

“It…was early in the day. Not everyone…”

“Sure, Fe,” Sylvain sighed, slamming the chair back down onto the ground and resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “Didn’t really take you to be the type to be attracted to men, but to be fair I didn’t think you were attracted to _anyone_ , so…”

“Shut up,” Felix said, brandishing a knife. “Or I’ll gut you along with the fish.”

“Felix?”

They both turned their heads to Dimitri, standing at the edge of the room, dressed in fresh clothing that did little the hide the muscular expanse of his body underneath.

“Is everything alright? Did you not want me using the stove?”

“Looking good, Dimitri!” Sylvain whistled high and stood up to help Dimitri fasten some of the loose buttons on his blouse and the ties to his trousers.

“It…it’s fine, I’m taking care of dinner now, so…”

“We need to get you some new clothes.” Sylvain ran his hands along the seams of Dimitri’s shirt, his finger gliding over each and every exposed stitch. “You seriously thought he’d fit into your clothes, Fe? Why didn’t you give him any of Gl…”

“Stop speaking.” Felix cut him off, pointing the knife at Sylvain once more.

Sylvain took the hint and dragged Dimitri with him towards the kitchen table. “After dinner, I’ll take you into town. There should still be a few shops left open, maybe even the tailor’s shop.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary…”

“My treat.”

Felix gripped his knife as he continued to prepare their meal; Sylvain bringing Dimitri into town could mean trouble, or at least a lot of unwanted attention. Felix preferred his life to be solitary and with Sylvain’s mouth, townsfolk would now be clambering around his home to see the mystery man who had been recovered from the sea.

“Don’t worry, Felix,” Sylvain said, as if he could read Felix’s thoughts. “I won’t use your dumb story. Not like anyone’s going to ask about a stranger. Sailors come into town all the time.”

“Just…” Felix grumbled under his breath. _Keep him safe._ Dimitri had become so precious to him, as if every moment spent apart was proof that he was just a dream. The thought pulled at Felix’s chest, the tension only loosening when a firm hand rested on his shoulder.

“Felix, are you alright?” Dimitri leaned over, running his other hand through the loose strands of Felix’s hair. His eye glistening in the dimming light of dusk and set Felix even more at ease.

“Yeah,” he breathed softly, resuming his work at the stove.

Dimitri smiled and remained by his side until dinner was finished.

Dinner went by quickly and loudly, and by the time Sylvain dragged Dimitri out of the house and towards town, the sun was low enough in the sky to herald the start of Felix’s work day. Routine had suddenly become monotonous, and the more time he spent alone up at the light, the more he craved to be by Dimitri’s side.

It was growing late, many hours past sunset, and Sylvain had yet not returned with Dimitri. Felix kept his eyes on the house all night, and not once did he see nor hear the two of them return. He sighed, leaning his elbows on the edge of the railing; as if it mattered. He wouldn’t be back down until morning.

Trailing his fingers along the metal bannister, Felix walked to the other side, keeping his eyes out towards the horizon and watching as from above his head, the light signaled its pattern over and over.

With his eyes fixed over the water, Felix let his thoughts wander; what life did Dimitri lead before winding up on the rocks below? A life unknown to him, creatures thought to only exist in tales and stories. Who did he leave behind? What could have been happening beneath the waters to send him Felix’s way? And did he miss it at all?

Felix groaned, closing his eyes and letting the cool night wind catch the loose strands of his hair. The wind carried a familiar scent and Felix turned up his nose at the sickeningly sweet smell. His eyes flashed open and he looked around the gallery. No one but him. He looked back and stuck his head into the watch room; empty, as usual. But he had caught this scent before; one so sweet he could never forget it.

He walked back onto the deck and looked down at the water below, spotting a woman standing at the edge of the rocks.

“H-hey!” He called out, gripping the metal bars. “Be careful down there! You could slip!”

She didn’t budge, merely stared out at the water; one wrong step and she would be taken beneath the waves.

Felix ran, leaping over steps until he made it to the Earth below. He rounded the bottom of the light until he was at the edge of the rocks, the exact spot where he had first met Dimitri. Both times.

“Are you okay?” He called out, minding his step on the slippery rocks that lead out onto the ocean.

The woman was fairly tall with pale pink hair that cascaded down her back. She wore robes that allowed the moonlight to shine through to the ground below and the sweet scent of her perfume snaked deep into Felix’s throat; he nearly gagged.

“Listen, it’s dangerous out here. You could get hurt, just let me…”

She turned slowly, meeting Felix’s gaze with sea-foam green eyes that seemed to glow. Felix fell back a step, frightened by her presence.

“Not bad,” she mused in a deep purr. She stepped closer to him and Felix thought that perhaps she wasn’t in any danger at all. “Definitely handsome. A little on the short side, but even I would risk it all for a face like yours.”

“Who are you…?”

She continued to move along the rocks until she stood mere inches from Felix; he swore her perfume would choke him if she moved any closer.

“Lonely little lighthouse keeper.” Her head swiveled on her neck as her hand reached up, fingers waving oddly in front of his face.

“What are you going on about?”

“The weather’s been quite calm recently, hasn’t it? Would be a shame if a storm came by. Best make haste with your preparations.”

She smirked, pursing her lips as if in a kiss and turned back towards the water.

Felix snapped out of his trance, confused by her words, by her appearance; everything about her seemed to be an anomaly. He stepped forward, reaching out to grab her before she slipped off the rocks.

“Felix!”

With a start, Felix turned, face to face with Sylvain and Dimitri, back from town.

“What are you doing down here? You’ve got work to do, Mr. Fraldarius.”

“I was just…” He looked back behind him; the woman was gone. “How…?”

“Felix, are you alright?” There was a worry to Dimitri’s tone, but Felix shook it off.

“Yeah, I just…I have to…”

“Wow, are you sure you weren’t at the tavern with us? Seems like you’re a few drinks in?”

Trust Sylvain to bring him back to reality. “I hope you didn’t have too much.”

Sylvain winked and held tightly onto Dimitri’s arm; obviously, he had had too much.

“Nothing a merchant sailor can’t handle. This guy, though? Nothing can touch him. Lost track of how many drinks he pounded down.”

“I’ll take him back inside,” Dimitri said in an awkward laugh.

“Thanks,” Felix said, watching the two men stumble into the house; Sylvain drunk and Dimitri two days old on legs.

He sighed and looked back out to the water; the memory of the woman — her scent, her eyes, her words — sent a shiver down his spine. Hopefully, the rest of his night would not be as strange.

* * *

The moment Felix walked out of the lighthouse at dawn, he checked the rocks by the water for any sign of the woman he saw earlier that night.

And he found nothing.

Not a strand of thread or fabric from the layers of robes she wore, not even a lock of that distinguishable pale pink hair. Only a hint of that cloyingly sweet scent remained in the air, easily overpowered by the spray of sea air. He shuddered, her words doing little to ease his concerns.

_The weather’s been quite calm recently, hasn’t it?_

He tried not to think of the lack of storms in the recent week; any day without a storm meant an easy sleep for Felix. And they had been much easier since Dimitri had joined him in bed.

He swallowed thickly, shaking his head and walking back towards the house; perhaps a bath would soothe his mind before he went to bed.

Dimitri greeted him at the door, his head tilted to the side as his palms rested against the door frame.

“Good morning,” he said softly, taking Felix in his arms before he could respond. “Sylvain has been snoring all night.”

His soft laughter was enough to help ease Felix slightly, but the wind brought with it that woman’s perfume and Felix dug his face deeper into Dimitri’s chest.

“Was it a long night?”

Felix looked up, reaching out a hand to brush blond hair behind Dimitri’s ears. He stared at the scar across his face, where another blue eye once sat, he presumed. Gently, he ran a finger along the scar, lifting up only when Dimitri shivered.

“Sorry, I…”

“It’s alright,” Dimitri said, but he held Felix’s wrist in his hand, stopping any further exploration. “Should we…?”

“Bath,” Felix mumbled, retuning to the comfort of Dimitri’s chest. “I could use some help carrying the water into the tub.”

Dimitri nodded, kissing Felix upon his crown.

&&&

Felix sank into the warm water, closing his eyes. He could have slept right there in the tub, but he knew his dreams would be more pleasant pressed up against Dimitri.

Dimitri sat at Felix’s side, gently scrubbing his back with a washcloth.

The water trickled down along Felix’s collar bone and he hummed at every touch Dimitri made at his skin.

“You seem…distant,” Dimitri said, breaking the silence of the room. “Is everything alright?”

Felix nodded, not wishing to delve too deeply into the insecurities in his mind; Dimitri’s past, the woman’s existence, the next storm on the horizon. He hadn’t been tending to his weather log that well, recently, and was unsure when the next storm would arrive. Surely, it would be soon.

He grumbled, sinking low into the water but taking Dimitri’s hand with him.

“Long night,” was all he would say, and Dimitri resumed his washing, keeping silent save for a few tender hums of a song.

Together, they walked up to bed, Sylvain’s snoring from Felix’s childhood bedroom welcoming them to the second floor.

“He almost walked into this room,” Dimitri said with a laugh, knocking on the closed door above the landing. “But it wouldn’t budge open.”

“He knows better, even when he’s drunk,” Felix mumbled, dragging Dimitri behind him until they could close off Sylvain’s snores.

Felix kept his brother’s room locked, ever since they got word of his death; no one was allowed in. Sylvain knew that well.

Soon, the two of them were tucked snuggly under the covers, the morning light blocked off from their tired eyes.

“Tonight,” Dimitri said, placing a kiss between Felix’s eyes, “I would like to join you up at the light.”

Felix looked up, crunching his brow in confusion. “Why?”

“It’s been lonely without you. And I’ve been practicing! All night I walked up and down the stairs. Glenn guides me the whole time and Sylvain offered some cheers of support before he fell asleep, and…”

“Fine,” Felix said, noting the excitement in Dimitri’s tone. “It’s not that great, honestly, just…”

“I’ve never seen the ocean from that high.” Dimitri held Felix’s head close, his eye drifting closed to the dreamy lilt of his voice. “I would like to see the waves from above.”

Heat rose to Felix’s cheeks and he held Dimitri tighter. “Sure,” he said, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Felix woke up in a sweat, bolting up in bed and clutching a shaking hand to his chest. Images of a ship at sea, a storm tossing it about the waves, continued to haunt his mind even as he sat awake. The woman’s words slithered in and out his ears:

_Would be a shame if a storm came by…_

He whined, cradling his head in his hands; it had been several months since the last nightmare plagued him, sending him five years back in time to when news of his brother’s death made it to shore.

The ship was lost to the storm. No survivors. Not even a memento of his to bury. An empty grave with just a tombstone sat in the back of the house with his name, sitting beside the very filled grave of Felix’s father.

Suddenly, warm arms wrapped around him, a hand up rubbing and down his spine. “Felix?”

He sat there, motionless beside the shaking of his body that he could not settle down. “I’m fine,” he spat. “Bad dream.”

Dimitri froze but kept his arms firm around Felix; and while Felix was thankful, he would have preferred the moment alone.

After a few quiet minutes, loud banging could be heard downstairs and Felix groaned remembering the other inhabitant of the house.

“Sylvain…”

Felix wriggled out of Dimitri’s hold, stepping out of bed and walking downstairs to find Sylvain with a wet rag across his brow.

“Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” Sylvain groaned, leaning back over the chair.

Felix rolled his eyes, taking a seat at the table as Dimitri emerged behind him. “You’ve been asleep all day?”

Sylvain whined, sliding down in his seat. “We were having such a good time. I couldn’t help it.”

“When do you go out to sea next, Sylvain?”

Again, the man whined, this time bringing his head down to the table, curling his fingers in his red locks. “I think I missed the ship.”

“They’d just leave you behind?”

He nodded. “If you miss the ship, you miss it. Gotta wait for the next circuit or hop another ship heading to the next port.”

“You’re not staying here,” Felix said without pause.

Sylvain lifted his head, a devious hazel eye poking out from under the rag. “Why? Don’t want me interrupting your romance?”

The statement earned Sylvain a kick in the calf, which only caused him to curl further into his body.

Dimitri shuffled around the kitchen, eventually kneeling beside Sylvain with a metal tin in his hands.

“What…are you doing?” Felix cocked his head to the side.

“He’s hurt, I figured this would…”

Felix stifled a laugh, but he knew his smirk still got through. “Salve won’t help his injuries.”

“Aw, you’re a good guy, Dimitri,” Sylvain said, slapping an appreciative hand on Dimitri’s shoulder. “You should be a sailor with me. Get you someone cuter than Felix.”

“Leave!”

“Fe, I’m joking!”

With a roll of his eyes, Felix noted how high the sun sat in the sky; it was still relatively early for him, a good night’s sleep interrupted by unwelcome nightmares. He closed his eyes, finding he had his own headache, and sighed as he fell back against his chair.

“You can stay one more night. But just one.”

“Thank you, Felix.” Sylvain pawed at Felix’s knee, a pathetic smile on his lips.

Dimitri stood up, resting the salve on the table and placing his hands on Felix’s shoulders. “You seem hurt, too, Felix.”

He wasn’t wrong, but unlike Sylvain’s hangover, Felix’s hurt had more history.

“Tea,” he said, standing up and taking Dimitri with him to the stove. “That’s what we need. Tea will help us.”

Dimitri watched in mesmerized attention as Felix filled a kettle with water and set it upon the stove. He walked back to the pantry and gathered a jar of loose tea leaves and a few sheets of cheese cloth.

“Could you grab some mugs?” He asked Dimitri, gesturing towards the top shelf.

Dimitri nodded, his eye scanning desperately and as he reached, Felix stopped him.

“One shelf higher.”

Dimitri looked back, pensive, but as his hand moved closer to the correct item, Felix smiled. It was all Dimitri needed to confidently grab two mugs from the shelf.

“Don’t forget yourself,” Felix said as he turned on the stove.

With a confident nod, Dimitri grabbed a third and brought the mugs to the table, hurriedly rushing back beside Felix.

“It’s not that interesting,” Felix said, spooning out some tea and folding the cheese cloth into pouches.

“Oh no, on the contrary, everything you do is fascinating.”

Felix grumbled, keeping his face low to hide the flush creeping up his neck.

Sylvain didn’t help with his mischievous hums, much softer than usual but just as obnoxious.

Once the tea kettle whistled high, Dimitri covered his ears and Felix couldn’t help but laugh. “That means it’s ready,” he said, patting Dimitri’s shoulder.

“Quite a violent sound.” The pout on Dimitri’s lips was so endearing, Felix had to compose himself not to tiptoe up to kiss him; not in front of Sylvain.

Felix brought the kettle and tea bags over to prepare the tea and sat down, cradling his mug in his hands. He hummed as the warmth spread through his fingers and up his arms, settling the goosebumps that flashed across his skin.

Dimitri kept reaching for his mug, sniffing it quizzically, and throwing concerned glances at Felix. “Um…”

“Let it sit for a bit,” he explained, watching as Sylvain hugged his mug close to his head.

Dimitri merely nodded, keeping his gaze locked on Felix.

Eventually, when he took his first sip, he smiled at Felix. “How comforting!”

Sylvain nodded with a thumbs up, slowly sipping his tea. “It really hits the spot. Thanks, Fe.”

Felix shook his head, not bothering to grace Sylvain with a response, and lost himself in the soothing taste of the chamomile tea. That woman had managed to get into his head, dredging up memories and nightmares that were better left in the past. But she was right about one thing; there hadn’t been a nasty storm in quite sometime, and that continued to poke at Felix’s nerves.

He sighed, slowly drinking his tea as the evening sun began to fade from the sky.

“I should get ready,” he said, standing up from his unfinished tea.

“Oh!” Dimitri stood up with him, his eye eager. “I should as well!”

“What, you two have a date planned?”

Dimitri’s face flushed a deep shade of crimson, but Felix shook his head and took Dimitri’s hand.

“He wants to see the lighthouse. Up top.”

“Fun,” Sylvain drawled, continuing to nurse his tea.

Upstairs, Felix quickly got dressed, trying not to watch as Dimitri peeled off his night shirt and dressed in unfamiliar clothes.

“What…”

Felix couldn’t help it; he turned, spotting Dimitri getting into a pair of evening slacks. “What are you wearing?”

“These are the clothes Sylvain bought for me. Are they not appropriate?”

Felix groaned, rolling his eyes as he spotted a pile of fresh clothing in the room. “It won’t be much comfortable up there with pants like those.” He dug through, finding a less formal pair of trousers and shoving them into Dimitri’s hands.

“Thank you.” His voice was meek, measured as if reacting to Felix’s mood.

Felix just nodded, returning to his own dressing and once they were both ready, he walked over to finish fastening Dimitri’s buttons. “Remember: there are 129 stairs up to the top.”

“Yes,” Dimitri said in a quick nod. “I’ve practiced many times.”

Felix let the corner of his mouth turn up in a smirk, his hands smoothing over the fabric on Dimitri’s chest; these clothes _were_ a better fit, and Dimitri was just as striking in them.

Glancing down at Dimitri’s feet, another thought crossed Felix’d mind. “Did he get you shoes?”

Dimitri opened his mouth, his eye following Felix’s gaze. “No, unfortunately, however we made the discovery that our feet are quite similar in size so I could always wear his boots.”

“Right.” Felix tried not to think too much on it; Sylvain had once made a comment on the size of a man’s feet compared to his manhood. He knew Dimitri to be quite large and he’d rather not have proof that Sylvain was more than just talk.

He shook the thought from his head before his face could grow too hot and lead Dimitri out of his room and down to the kitchen.

Sylvain was leaning back in his seat, his helping of tea having already gone to work. He looked Dimitri over and gave a wink. “Looking good, sir.”

“Why, thank you,” Dimitri said with a short bow.

Sylvain turned his head, gaze pointed towards a worn pair of boots by the door. “Guess you’ll be needing those, brother.”

“Shut up, Sylvain.”

Felix walked past him, gesturing Dimitri to take a seat as he grabbed the boots and rejoined the other men. He held Dimitri’s foot in his hand, guiding it onto one boot and carefully tying the laces. He was so concentrated on his task, he barely noticed the cloud of quiet that hovered in the room. Quickly, he got to work helping Dimitri with the other boot.

“That was intimate…”

Sylvain sat stunned, his fresh helping of tea billowing steam in front of his face.

“Get back to sleep, Sylvain.”

Felix grabbed Dimitri by the wrists and lead him out the door before Sylvain could even attempt a response.

It was a cool night, much more so than the previous nights. A sour knot began to form in Felix’s stomach; he knew a storm could be on the horizon any day, and he grew uneasy at the implications of a storm warned by such a woman.

“I’m quite excited,” Dimitri said, his large body shivering in the night air. “I’ve spent the past few nights watching you from the house, eager for you to return. But now I’ll be with you the whole night.”

Felix shielded his face behind his loose bangs, walking straight for the oil house before heading up the light.

“Then be prepared to work.” He opened the doors, rolling out a tank of oil and setting it at his feet. “You practiced the stairs, but do you think you can manage carrying one of these up?”

Dimitri regarded the tank for a moment before lifting it onto his shoulder; it looked effortless. Of course it was, with muscles that thick.

“I am always ready for a challenge.”

Felix bit his lip, turning back into the oil house and grabbing a second tank. Even though he’d been lifting these things for years, he could hardly do it in a manner as simply as Dimitri did.

“Let the climb begin,” he said, stomping towards the lighthouse.

It was his longest climb since childhood. At every window, Dimitri stopped to glance outside, seemingly unbothered by the weight of the tank on his shoulder.

“Your house! Felix, it’s getting smaller the higher we go up!”

“Is it…really that fascinating?”

Dimitri laughed, trotting up the next few steps to catch up to Felix. “I suppose not, but I appreciate the view.”

Of course.

Felix continued, stopping at each flat landing to switch shoulders as Dimitri continued to marvel at the view of the Earth below. Finally, they made it up to the watch room. Felix slammed the tank to the floor; he’d worry about refilling the oil later. For now, he had to rest and stretch his shoulder out.

“Felix, I did it!”

Dimitri triumphantly stepped into the room, placing his tank more gently beside Felix’s, and held his chin high.

“Guess you’ve gotten used to those things,” Felix said, his gaze on Dimitri’s legs.

“Yes, it seems so. And my wound didn’t even hurt on the way up.”

Felix paused, vision locked on the space above Dimitri’s left knee; he had already forgotten about the spear, pierced through the cerulean tail that once graced Dimitri’s body. He smiled softly. “Glad to hear.”

To the sound of crashing waves, Dimitri jerked his head towards the open door that lead to the gallery walk. “Is that…?”

“Yeah,” Felix said, gripping Dimitri’s hand tightly and leading him out.

Dimitri’s eye widened, locked on the horizon above. He gripped the metal rail with shaking hands. A tear rolled down his cheek and his mouth opened in a breathless, “wow.”

Felix rested his elbows along the rail, leaning out to watch the waves slap over the surface of the water. “I’m so used to it after all these years, but it really is a beautiful view.”

Silence hung in the air between them and Felix looked back up to Dimitri. His vision was frozen, his body shaking; Felix was unsure if it was due to the chill in the air or something more.

“Do you miss it?”

“Hmm?” Dimitri turned, another tear joining the one that had now reached his chin.

“The sea.” Felix let his gaze wander back to the water below. “Your home.”

Dimitri lifted a hand to wipe his tears away, nodding. “I do, but…” He stopped, taking in a deep breath as he gripped the railing even tighter. “I do not regret my current situation.”

Felix raised a brow at the odd choice of words, but shook it off, leaning against Dimitri, allowing his warmth to fend off the cool air. As Dimitri wrapped his arm around Felix’s shoulder, Felix had a thought. He shook his head, embarrassed by the concept, but risked it anyway.

“Do you…dance?”

Dimitri looked down, his lips curving in a small smirk. “I suppose, under the water, my kind have a manner of dancing, yes.”

“But on those things,” Felix said, gesturing below.

“I suppose you’ll have to teach me.”

Felix was never quite the dancer, but he played at it with his brother often, as they tried to remember the few lessons their mother taught them before she died. It was the one thing Felix still had of her, her voice and warmth lost to him over the years. But his dances with his brother, silly as they were, kept their mother’s memory alive.

He never considered dancing with another person, not seriously, anyway. He grabbed Dimitri’s hand, guided the other to his shoulder, and began to lead in the narrow space of the gallery walk.

It was difficult, and Felix kept his eyes on his feet more than he would have liked, but soon, Dimitri seemed to learn the steps and he shifted his hand to Felix’s waist, pulling him in close as he took the lead, gazing down at him with the glow of the moonlight upon his face.

“I think I get it,” he said softly.

How dare a man, with only a few days of experience on legs, master a skill so suddenly? But Felix couldn’t help but smile, allowing himself to be whisked off his feet, around the circumference of the gallery walk until they returned to their starting place.

As they slowed into a more intimate rhythm, Dimitri began to hum a tune, the gaze of his eye never once breaking from Felix’s face.

“I suppose it’s easier to music,” Felix said, grateful to the cool air for helping tone down his flush.

Dimitri laughed and leaned forward as he slowed to a stop, gently brushing his lips against Felix’s. “I’m not much of a musician.” He sealed his words with a kiss, pressing Felix close to him, wrapping him in his arms with no room for escape.

As if Felix would want to escape his hold.

Felix gasped as he parted his lips, inviting Dimitri in for more, losing himself to the taste of the other man’s tongue. He rolled his body along Dimitri’s as hands roamed low and he began to crave more.

He broke only for a breath, to stare into that brilliant blue eye once more.

“Felix, I…” Dimitri’s voice cracked on his words, his fingers brushing back strands of dark hair, tucking them behind Felix’s ear.

Felix didn’t let him finish, or continue; the man seemed lost for words, and in the moment, Felix cared for nothing more than his kiss. He pulled him down back towards him, humming against his lips and stumbling back into the watch room.

Felix fell to the floor upon his back, taking Dimitri along with him, but when the blond sat up in concern, Felix could only laugh.

“I’m fine, you fool.” He glanced up, running his hands through blond strands. “Just keep kissing me.”

Dimitri nodded, that warm smile returning once more.

Felix fell victim to his kiss and to his hands, and soon both men were rolling over discarded clothes, inviting the cool air blowing as a growing heat started to take over Felix’s body. With their bodies pressed together, intertwined and connected, Felix wished for nothing more.

Dimitri’s touch was warm and gentle as his hands roamed over skin, exploring every bit Felix offered up.

Felix sucked in his breath as he felt Dimitri enter him, their bodies shuddering together, clouds of their breath hanging above their heads. He glanced up, locked in Dimitri’s gaze; he had never felt anything like this before, and for as new and frightening as it was, Felix only wished for more.

Their bodies rocked along the ground, eventually moving up to the weathered chair; it was only meant for one, but they had managed to fit, lost in the taste and touch of one another.

Felix lost track of the time of night, focused only on how many times Dimitri could make Felix cry out his name, but once the light started to dim, Felix scrambled up to the service room to turn the crank. The chorus of Dimitri’s laughter did little to help him, but he returned to the other man’s arms as quickly as he could. His hold was more addicting than any call of a siren.


	4. secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If we wake early enough,” he started, a pause in his voice, “I would like to show you something.”
> 
> “Oh?”
> 
> Dimitri nodded, looking back out at the horizon. “A little secret of my own. My…safe place.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Dimilix Week Day 4: **secrets.**
> 
> A bit of a mood whiplash coming up.

Felix lay at Dimitri’s side until the sunrise, only leaving their nest of clothes every few hours to keep the light turning.

Once the first ray of sunlight broke over the horizon, Dimitri rose to his feet, mesmerized by the sight. Felix followed, huddled in nothing but his coat and leaning into Dimitri’s side. Just like the night before, tears filled Dimitri’s eye, a smile plastered wide on his lips.

“It’s unbelievable,” he mumbled, reaching down to grip Felix’s hand tight.

“Yeah.” Felix watched the sun rise every morning, but this one was special; his first one with Dimitri, and hopefully not the last. He stood on his toes, leaning up to kiss Dimitri on his cheek, and huddled in close.

Even though it was spring, the mornings had yet to lose their winter chill; a few more moments huddled in Dimitri’s arms would get him warmed up properly. But his shift was over, and they had to return to the house.

Not that that would be such an awful turn of events.

They dressed, but Felix kept his eyes on Dimitri the whole time; he no longer felt the need to avert his eyes, having explored every detail of the man’s body during the night. His cheeks flushed and his chest felt warm.

“Come,” he said, reaching over and grabbing Dimitri’s hand. “Now you have to walk down the stairs.”

“I’m sure I’ll do better than the last time we tried,” Dimitri retorted in a laugh.

Fortunately, the two of them made it to the base of the lighthouse with little trouble. Sylvain greeted them at the front door, dressed and ready to catch whatever ship he could at the harbor. A knowing smirk rested on his shoulders.

“Did you two enjoy your night?”

Dimitri nodded, squeezing Felix’s hand tight. “Yes, very much so.”

“Good! I can tell.” He nodded towards Felix then winked.

Instinctively, Felix covered his neck, aware of how much time Dimitri had spent on that area of him during the night.

Sylvain merely laughed, and after a quick trade to get his boots back from Dimitri, he waved the two of them goodbye as he walked towards town.

“He’s a good friend,” Dimitri mused, watching him off.

“He’s a pain in the ass. Come on, let’s…go to bed.”

“Yes,” Dimitri said, holding Felix close and kissing his forehead. “That would be lovely.”

Felix felt like he glided the whole way up the stairs, their clothes not bothering to stay on long as they tumbled naked into bed together.

Dimitri hovered over him, decorating Felix’s lips and cheeks, neck and chest with kisses and bites, slowly marking him down his stomach and between his legs.

Felix gave a hitched cry, eyes shutting tight as small beads of tears escaped past his lashes. He ran his fingers down Dimitri’s hair, gripping as the other man continued his work.

They eventually fell asleep, after several moments of pleasure, limbs entwined within the sheets.

* * *

They awoke quite early, a couple of hours before sunset, which gave Felix ample time to tidy around the house. He cleaned up his room, sorting through his clothing and making the bed, and gave Dimitri a quick lesson on laundry as he handed him discarded clothes and used bedsheets from his childhood bedroom, where Sylvain had been staying.

Despite the relatively small amount of sleep, Felix had never felt more energized. Though slowed down a bit by the soreness of his rear, he was still able to tidy around the house and walk around Glenn’s attempts at distracting the two of them.

Sunset loomed close as they rested for dinner; the grocer from town stopped by with a fully cooked meal, moved by the sob story Sylvain fed him about Dimitri’s situation.

“He was kind,” Dimitri said, staring at the piece of chicken before him. “And this smells quite good!”

Felix shook his head, leaning over to cut up Dimitri’s meal before returning to his own. “Yeah, he’s a nice guy. I just wished Sylvain didn’t create this whole weird scenario for you. Lost at sea, memories gone. Nonsense.”

“Is that not the same story you gave him?”

Felix nearly choked on his piece of chicken, trying to desperately wash it down with water.

Dimitri smirked, taking a bite of his dinner and seemingly enjoying Felix’s hazardous response.

“What…was I supposed to tell him?”

“True,” Dimitri started, picking at the vegetables on his plate. “I suppose the truth of the situation is quite strange.”

“I rescued a merperson from the rocks, nursed him to health, and suddenly he grew legs.”

Dimitri smiled, taking another bite of his dinner and nodding. “Yes, quite strange indeed, but…”

He grew quiet, eye not meeting Felix’s as he head hung low. “It is our truth. Our story.”

Felix reached out, squeezing Dimitri’s hand. He had no words to try to quell the sadness within Dimitri; he had no idea how to. Dimitri hadn’t spoken much about his life before coming to shore. Felix knew next to nothing about him. And after all they shared, it seemed…

With a sigh, he dropped his head. “Come on,” he said softly, gathering his plate and taking it to rest on the counter. “Let’s finish cleaning up before we head back to up to the light.”

Dimitri looked up and nodded, that sad smile still on his lips. “Yes, Felix.”

He followed Felix up the stairs and into the spare room where Sylvain slept to finish tidying up.

“He doesn’t leave that much of a mess,” Dimitri noted, fluttering a spare sheet over the bed.

“This is actually the messiest he’s been, which, all things considering, isn’t bad.”

“Why doesn’t he stay in the other room?”

Felix stopped, dropping a pillow onto the bed and staring off into the hallway.

“That’s…my brother’s room. No one goes in there, not even me.”

Dimitri dropped his head, wringing his hands together at the hem of his shirt.

“Your…brother…”

“He died.” Felix spit it out without thinking; five years had been too long. Perhaps he could open up now, just a bit. “Five years ago. It was a surprise. My father was still the light keeper at the time, before he died and…”

Dimitri walked over to Felix, running his fingers along Felix’s arm until they linked hands.

“I miss him, it’s just…”

“I know.” His voice was soft, soothing and Felix couldn’t help but fall into his arms; it felt so natural. After moments of silence, Felix pulled back and walked into the hall. In his room, he kept the key to the door sealed in a drawer. Not difficult to find, but out of sight enough to keep it hidden from even him. He grabbed the key and walked to his brother’s room, slipping it into the lock and watching as the door slowly swung open.

He kept his eyes closed, flinching slightly when Dimitri came up to his side.

“You don’t have to if it…”

“No,” he said, balling his hands into fists and setting his sights straight ahead. He opened his eyes, viewing the room for the first time in years.

He had left it locked since his father died two years prior, but even before then, Felix never looked inside. His father would often sit upon his brother’s bed, holding the cap his brother was to wear once he became keeper of the light. He had had it made special, to fit his son’s head perfectly. Felix saw that it still sat upon the bed, a coating of dust over it.

Felix wore his father’s old hat; he wasn’t supposed to inherit the light, but he always knew he would work there for a few years before going off on his own. And then his life became tethered to the light that fateful day.

“Do you…want to walk in?”

Felix shook his head, fighting back the tears that threatened his eyes. “I’ll stay here.”

Dimitri nodded and reached for the door.

“Don’t!”

He froze, glancing tentatively at Felix, his fingers shaking by the doorknob.

“Let’s just…keep it open for now.”

Glenn ran past their feet into the room, standing at the edge of the bed; Felix always had a feeling a bit of his brother lived on in that cat, more than just in the name. He sighed, taking Dimitri’s hand, closing the door with just a crack left open, and led him downstairs.

That was enough opening up for the day. He only wished it had been easier to set his mind at ease with just a few kisses down his chest.

* * *

Dimitri was an incredible help at the lighthouse. His boundless energy and inhuman strength made the most difficult of tasks look simple. Felix was happy to let him take over, after showing him how to fill the lantern with oil and turn the crank to keep the lens spinning during the night.

They decided to spend their off time on the small, weathered couch that had been up in the light since before Felix could remember, seating right beneath his father’s war memorabilia; a ceremonial sword held across a shield with his medal of honor dangling in front.

Felix sat in Dimitri’s lap, letting the other man play with his hair, twirling it around his fingers before brushing it back.

“I have a sister,” Dimitri said softly, almost kissing the shell of Felix’s ear. “She’s still alive, but…”

“You’re not with her anymore.” Felix nodded; he could hear the pain in Dimitri’s voice, feel it in his core. “It must be hard to be away from her.”

“We’ve been separated for some time, now.” Dimitri paused, his hands nearly froze at Felix’s side. “I don’t know when I will ever see her again.”

Felix looked up, craning his neck to get a look at Dimitri’s face, but he sat on the opposite side of his remaining eye, his gaze on the scar over where Dimitri’s right eye once sat. Perhaps that was something he wasn’t willing to share either. Sighing, Felix rested his head against Dimitri’s chest, closing his eyes to focus in on the beat of his heart. It was quick, as if telling a small fraction of his life sent him into a frenzy.

“You also lost your father,” Dimitri softly said, his hand continuing to twirl around strands of Felix’s hair.

“He got sick,” Felix said shortly. “We kind of grew apart after my brother’s death, but…”

“You still care for the light in his honor.”

Felix scoffed, rolling his eyes at the thought. “Fuck his honor.” He couldn’t control the venom in his tone, and he only slightly regretted it. Those years after his brother’s death were strained and Felix fought with his father over everything, even on his deathbed. He wished it didn’t leave a strain on his heart, but he tried to settle back into Dimitri’s hold. “I tend to this light so that no one has to die like…”

_So no one has to die like Glenn._

“…to keep people safe. It’s not for honor, it’s just logical. No one should have to die at sea.”

Dimitri held Felix close, placing a kiss at his temple. “Thank you for your work.” His words were barely audible, but they still brought tears to Felix’s eyes. He didn’t want to be thanked, but coming from Dimitri…

He turned in Dimitri’s lap, burying his face against his bare chest and swallowing down a sob. Strong arms enveloped him and they stayed like that until Dimitri had to return to the service room above.

* * *

They watched the sunrise from the watch room, the door to the gallery open wide to the cool morning breeze outside. They lay there on the floor, naked upon discarded layers of clothing. The rest of the night was fairly quiet, save for hushed moans and names spoken over shaking whispers. Felix counted the marks left on his body as he dressed, blushing as he dragged his finger over bright pink bite marks.

Dimitri laughed, watching Felix’s inspection. “I do like to put my lips on you.”

“Tell me about it. Fifty four.”

“Is that all?”

Felix could have smacked Dimitri for that comment, but instead, he walked into his arms, craning his neck back for mark number fifty five.

“I intend to give you more once we make it back into the house,” he mumbled against Felix’s neck.

“Good.” Felix gasped out a moan as he held Dimitri close to his skin. “Make it to one hundred, okay?”

Dimitri nodded eagerly against his skin and the two of them nearly tumbled down the first group of stairs down to the bottom of the light.

Together, they walked to the edge of the rocks, watching as the sun continued to crawl higher up into the sky.

Dimitri kept his gaze high, giving Felix a light squeeze before turning to him. “If we wake early enough,” he started, a pause in his voice, “I would like to show you something.”

“Oh?”

Dimitri nodded, looking back out at the horizon. “A little secret of my own. My…safe place.”

* * *

Much to Dimitri’s pleasure, they woke up with enough time to spare for his surprise. He insisted on dinner first, enjoying more of Felix’s grilled fish; he snuck a few pieces to Glenn, despite Felix’s protests.

They headed outside, and Dimitri lead Felix along the shore, away from the path that lead into town.

“You know there’s nothing out this way other than cliff sides, right?”

Dimitri smirked, closing his eye in what Felix thought was supposed to be a wink; a bit awkward with one eye, but still incredibly charming.

“That’s what makes it my secret. Come, follow me.”

They continued along the shore, the waves decidedly quiet that night, until they came upon a tall wall of rocks. Dimitri looked up at the wall before him and took a breath.

“This might be difficult as I’ve…never done this before.”

Felix looked up along the cliff. “You’re going to climb up?”

“Not exactly, but…”

He reached out, gripping the stone and scaling the side until he reached the edge. Suddenly he curved along the rock and continued to climb along. Felix ran forward, taking off his shoes and carefully stepping along the rocks as he followed Dimitri’s path around the cliff side. It wasn’t long until they were able to step down and Dimitri lead Felix into a cave, one he never knew existed so close to his home.

He glanced around, thinking how much fun he would have had playing in here as a child with Glenn. The rocks at their feet smoothed out and a small pool of ocean water lapped up at his toes; Felix was in awe of the space. Dimitri let out an excited chuckle as he ran to the inner most part of the grotto.

“Do you like it?”

“How did I not know about this place? It’s…”

 _Incredible_.

“I’ve been using it for a while, now, as a private escape from…”

Dimitri’s voice trailed off, but he merely shook his head and took a seat on a dry set of stones within the grotto.

“So you’ve been living here? Before I took you in?”

Dimitri lowered his head, shying away from Felix’s gaze. “Yes, I suppose that’s one way to put it.”

Felix sat at Dimitri’s side, resting a hand at his knee and squeezing. “What happened that sent you here?” He kept his voice low, barely audible against the gentle slapping of water on the rocks.

Dimitri grabbed Felix’s hand; he was shaking and Felix could swear he saw a tear drop from his eye. “I lost most of my family,” he said, voice low and deep. “And I became desperate for…”

He sighed and looked up. “It’s silly, you shouldn’t have to burden yourself with my troubles.”

Shaking his head, Felix reached out to touch Dimitri’s cheek. “You’re not a burden, Dimitri,” he said, wiping away a tear with his thumb.

Dimitri grabbed Felix’s wrist, pulling him in and kissing him desperately, his lips trembling.

Felix ran his fingers up the back of Dimitri’s hair, pulling him closer, setting his trembling at ease. He could tell there was so much Dimitri wanted to say, wanted to share; whatever was stopping him, Felix needed to know.

Dimitri slipped back, resting his forehead against Felix’s as the slightest of smiles spread across his lips. “I could go for a swim.”

Felix just laughed, looking out at the shallow water that filled the grotto. “You sure you know how to do that with legs?”

“Can’t be much different than with a tail and fins.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Dimitri didn’t hesitate to start tearing off his clothes, tossing them into a small corner in the grotto and stepping into the water. “It’s so nice, Felix! You should join me!”

It was hard to tell how late in the day it was, being so deep in the cave, but Felix couldn’t help but admire the way the water glistened off Dimitri’s skin. Slowly, he took off his clothes, setting them aside on the rocky seat and stepping in.

“It’s freezing!”

“I’ll keep you warm,” Dimitri said, holding out his hand, and Felix couldn’t say no to that kind of promise.

He sucked in his breath as the water chilled him to his bones, but once he was waist deep, Dimitri paddled over, taking him in his arms and holding him close. “See?”

“You’re going to have to do better than that.”

Dimitri laughed, the rumble of it sending ripples out from him. He dug his nose into the crook of Felix’s neck, breathing hot against his skin. “Like this?”

Low in his gut, Felix felt the warmth spread. His hands slid over wet skin, down to hold Dimitri close to him, keening lightly as the other man bit more marks into his skin.

“Not enough already, huh?”

“I want you covered in me,” Dimitri cooed, slowly grinding up against Felix. He gripped Felix’s thighs, raising them to his waist and it didn’t take long for Felix to open up for him.

Despite the chill of the water, Dimitri was right about one thing: he definitely kept Felix warm.

Their bodies rocked together in the water, ripples casting small waves against the rocks in the grotto and Felix felt unbound in this new environment. He cried out Dimitri’s name, holding him close so the man’s mouth would never leave his body again. His voice came back to him in the echo of the grotto, hips rolling over one another, mouths hot against skin.

Felix let himself go to the pleasure of it all, falling limp into the water as Dimitri slackened his hold, spent from their moment together. Eventually, the chill finally returned to Felix as he shivered in Dimitri’s arms.

Dimitri smirked, his idea of helping Felix warm up to continue with his incessant kissing.

“Get off, you beast,” Felix said, pushing away to swim back to the rocks; at this point, Felix was just eager to get dry so he could put his clothes back on.

Dimitri watched with hungry eyes, but after a while, he also swam back to the edge of the grotto, struggling to make it back up the rocks.

“Definitely a different experience with legs.”

“No kidding,” Felix said, slipping on his trousers and grabbing his shirt.

“But the view of the lighthouse is the best from out there,” he said, staring out at the sea beyond the cavernous opening. A smile hung on Dimitri’s lips and Felix felt there was a familiarity to it.

Felix shook his head, trying to hide his flushed face as he slipped his arms into his sleeves.

“The sun is getting close to setting, but we should still have time to make it back to the light.”

Dimitri crawled back onto the rocks, nestling close to Felix’s side.

“You’re getting me all wet!”

“I know,” he said, clearly not wanting to take the hint and pressing his mouth against Felix’s. And like a fool, he accepted, falling far too comfortable with the feel of Dimitri’s mouth.

As he pulled back, Felix’s eyes fluttered open and caught a sheen of light in one of the hidden corners of the grotto. He craned his neck to get a better view, but Dimitri continued to kiss and suckle at his neck.

“H-hey,” he said, gently pushing Dimitri off. “What’s that?”

“Oh!” Dimitri followed Felix’s gaze and suddenly, his posture changed, back stiff and straight. “Just some mementos I keep, that’s all.”

“Mementos?” Felix said the word in a laugh and walked towards the sheen as it slowly materialized into a small chest. It was unlike anything Felix had ever seen, crafted with shells and pearls, held together with tough sand. It was a marvel, honestly, like nothing he had ever seen on land. He reached out a hand, but Dimitri immediately cried out.

“Ah, be careful, it is…very dear to me.”

Felix took a tentative glance over his shoulder. Something about the change in Dimitri’s manner struck him as odd, but he continued his quest, running his fingers over the top of the chest and tilting it open. It was filled with nothing but trinkets of the sea; more shells and pearls but with intricate designs upon them, bones of fish formed into small daggers and knives. But beneath the pile, Felix’s eye caught sight of something strange among the rest. A peeling corner of what looked to be a piece of paper.

He tilted his head, glancing back at Dimitri who has hastily putting his clothes back on. “You’re in quite the rush.”

“I just think…we should head back to the lighthouse.”

“Alright,” Felix said, his hand at the top of the chest. But the curl of the paper like item continued to catch his eye and he reached in instead, tugging it out.

As his eyes scanned the details of the paper, he felt his heart skip a beat; it was a photograph of his lighthouse. Sitting at the edge of the rocky shoals, its diamond shape pattern in clear view; his fingers began to shake.

“How…?”

He turned the photo over, the word “ _home_ ” scribbled in an all too familiar hand. The photo fell from his hands, fluttering to the rocks below. Before he could even think to look back to Dimitri, another curled piece of paper stuck out beneath the mementos, and Felix ripped it out without much ceremony.

“What the hell?”

He yelled louder than he intended, but he didn’t expect to see this photo in such a place. Taken months before Glenn’s death, the three Fraldarius men: his father, his brother, and himself, five years younger. He remembered the day clearly, sitting for hours as the photographer kept fussing over all his sudden movements. It was painful, but not as painful as the feeling of looking down at it again, five years later.

In Dimitri’s possession.

“How did you get these?”

The family portrait was stuck between his fingers, shaking with his whole body. “Why do you have Glenn’s photos?”

“Felix, I…”

“Why do you have them?!”

Once more, Felix’s voice resounded within the grotto, much harsher than earlier. He turned back in a frenzy, unaware of the tears flooding down his cheeks. He was enraged, he was hurt, he was confused. And looking at Dimitri wasn’t making him feel any better.

“I can explain, Felix, really, I…”

“Glenn took these with him when he went on that damned ship. He had these with him when he died! So why do you…”

“It was a frightening storm, I…”

“You were _there_?”

His voice boomed within the expanse of the cave, settling into a silence Dimitri didn’t attempt to fill.

“Did you cause it?”

Dimitri’s eye widened, his head shaking frantically. “N-no, I…!”

“Because your kind does that!”

_The call of the siren…_

“You lure ships and sailors and shit to their deaths. Did you kill my brother? And then you took these _mementos_ from him?” The word seared on his tongue and he grabbed the discarded photo from the ground, shaking it in Dimitri’s face. “You fucking _monster_ , you killed my brother and then you went out to find me, your next victim!”

Hurt flashed across Dimitri’s face, but Felix didn’t care to look at him anymore. He stormed passed him towards the far edge of the grotto where they had climbed in together. His fingers slipped as he tried to climb around it, nearly falling into the water as he finally made it out and back to the grass. He leaned over to grab his shoes but Dimitri was right behind him.

“Felix, wait, I can explain!”

“Don’t touch me!”

He ripped his arm from Dimitri’s hold, the hissing face from their first meeting clear in his memory; he would never forget that face, the face of a creature, a beast, a _monster_. It was his plan, had to have been the whole time.

“Leave. Get out of my sight.”

He stormed back to the house, the photos bent between his fingers, and he didn’t bother to look back once.

* * *

_“Why do_ **_you_ ** _look so glum?” Glenn’s laugh resonated throughout the area by the docks. It only made Felix want to scowl harder._

_“Don’t make fun of me!”_

_“Hey, it’s gonna be my last chance to for a while. Don’t take that pleasure away from me.” Glenn winked and it only added to Felix’s frustration._

_Their father stood beside them, the obvious strain of dealing with his sons’ nonsense on his face. “Boys, please.”_

_“I know, Pop, I know,” Glenn sighed, resting a hand on Felix’s shoulder. “Can’t help it. I’m gonna miss you two.”_

_Felix’s body was tense; the whole situation didn’t bode well with him. Glenn had said he wanted to explore the world, just once before he had to dedicate the rest of his life to the lighthouse. Felix, he had said, would have more freedom than that; he wouldn’t be tethered to a life on land._

_“Be sure to write once you dock safely,” their father said, his shaking hand on Glenn’s shoulder._

_“Of course.” Glenn nodded and pulled two small photographs from his pocket. “And even though I’ll be off at sea, I’ll have you two close.”_

_They had just taken that photograph, a miserable ordeal, but as Glenn was getting older, their father felt it appropriate to capture the three Fraldarius men together. Especially when Glenn had mentioned his desire to travel. The other was of the lighthouse, a photo their father insisted on having; updated photos of the light were especially important to him._

_Glenn pocketed the photos once more, closing in to give his father a hug as the captain gave the last call for the passengers to board._

_“Keep it bright for us, Pop.”_

_Their father nodded, his features tense as he held his eldest close._

_Glenn smirked as he fell out of the embrace, ruffling his hand through Felix’s hair, messing it out of its bun._

_“H-hey!”_

_“Be good,” Glenn warned with an accusatory point. “And help him out.”_

_“I don’t need you to tell me that.” Felix looked off to the side, but Glenn brought him into a tight squeeze, laughing throughout it._

_“I miss you already, Fe.”_

&&&

Felix held the photos in his hand, lost in memory as he leaned over the railing on the gallery walk. It was eerily quiet up at the light, the events of the day buzzing in his mind. He couldn’t even look into the watch room without being reminded of the past few nights; the memories stung too much.

He felt like a fool, giving himself so easily to a creature like that. He had known better or at least should have known better, but he fell too easily into the spell.

“Call of the siren,” he said in a sneer, Sylvain’s words burning into his mind. “Fool that I am.”

The waves were rougher that night, but not loud enough to drive out the words and feelings swarming within him. He was distracted, often letting the spinning light come to a standstill before he crawled back up to the service room to give it another crank.

As he descended back into the watch room, his eyes fell to the center of the room, once covered in clothes, their bodies making the most of the space.

For a moment, he fell into the memory of skin against skin, of the gentle brush of lips at his neck. But the pictures, still clutched in his hand, were enough to turn those thoughts sour.

It was his longest night at the light in a while; he yearned for sunrise, just so he could go to sleep.

When he walked down to the surface after finishing his duties, he was hit with that nauseatingly sweet scent. He turned his nose up, glancing over to the side of the light to see _her_.

“Get off my property,” he barked the moment he saw her lips turn up in a smile.

The woman’s pale pink hair seemed to flow against a wind that didn’t exist. She laughed, hiding her mouth behind dagger-sharp nails, but her eyes never broke from Felix.

“You truly are as ornery as they say.”

“Get off my property before I make you get off.”

She cocked her head to the side, her smile sly and slick. “And how do you intend to do that?”

Felix thought of the sword up at the light; it was just a trophy, never meant to actually be used, he could bet that it was sharp enough to skewer through someone.

Instead, he took a heavy breath and started walking towards the house; if he ignored her, perhaps she would fade into the aether like she did last time. He paused at the door, hand on the knob; he didn’t want to look back, but he had an inkling to her purpose here.

“You gave him his legs, didn’t you?”

The memory of her perfume hung in particular moments in his mind, he just couldn’t place why.

“Now, I wonder who you could be talking about?”

Felix turned, ready to take her on; he wasn’t expecting her to be inches from his face, fingers waggling as they drew closer to him.

“That storm is growing nearer, dear lighthouse keeper,” she whispered, and Felix felt frozen to the spot, unable to breathe, unable to blink. “Do take heed.”

The moment Felix was able to breathe again, she was gone. In just a blink, she had vanished once more. The scent of her perfume clung to his nose and he wanted nothing more than to burn it off his skin.

He shivered, turning back to walk into his house, silent and empty.

Glenn trotted over to him, winding around his legs and looking out the door, as if expecting someone else.

“He’s gone,” Felix mumbled, shutting the door behind him. Felix dragged his feet across the floor to the stairs, his body heavy with exhaustion, but the cat only continued to meowed and mewled in his wake. All the way up the stairs, the animal’s protests grew louder until all Felix could do was turn and scream.

“He’s not coming back! So shut up!”

The cat fell back a step, startled, before growling beneath his breath and swatting a paw full of claws at Felix’s ankle.

“Ah! Shit,” Felix cried, falling to the ground to clutch at the fresh wound. “Stupid cat.”

Glenn ran off, leaving Felix on the second story landing by himself.

Perhaps he was best off that way.

Eventually, he made it back to his feet, trudging over to his room and falling face first onto his bed. He took in a breath, a warm musk flooding into his nose and setting him at ease until the memory paired with it clutched painfully at his chest.

He cursed, pushing himself off and walking down the hall to his childhood bedroom.

Curled in the sheets that smelled of nothing but soap did little to lull Felix into a restful sleep. He didn’t expect to get another one of those for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask my how late 19th century photographs didn't just disintegrate in the sea water for five years, I didn't go that hard into my research, lol.


	5. home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The storm splashed a spray of water onto the gallery walk, soaking Felix down to his skin. Even one hundred feet above sea level, the storm was powerful enough to send the waves that high. He squinted out at the horizon, spotting a ship being tossed about like a cat teasing a mouse in its paws.
> 
> He glanced up, the light growing dimmer by the second. “Shit,” he cursed, scrambling into the watch room, slipping on a puddle of water that sent him hurtling to the ground. He ignored the trickle of blood that fell down the side of his face, scrambling up the small ladder to the service room; he had to keep the light lit. But no matter how much oil he poured in, the light continued to dwindle.
> 
> Felix frantically looked between the lens and the ship out at sea, pressing himself to the glass of the lantern room as he watched the ship split in two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Dimilix Week Day 5: **home** and **non-human au.**

The next few nights at the light were quiet, but the dread of waiting for the oncoming storm weighed heavily on Felix’s shoulders. He noticed the waves picking up, night by night, but the sky was clear, calm even.

_That storm is growing nearer, dear lighthouse keeper. Do take heed._

He grumbled at the thought of that woman’s words, the memory of her scent tickling his nose. She was odd, that was for sure, but there was something else about her, and he knew she had something to do with giving that beast human legs to walk upon. What else did she do to get into Felix’s head? To cause him anxiety enough that he slipped up on some of his duties at the light?

His last few nights were lonely and cold, but the thought of how to curb that filled his chest with fire. He was restless, tossing and turning in his bed night after night, waking up past sunset. Sailors and townsfolk came to his home, complaining of his recent behavior, along with some comments on his person.

_“You don’t look well, son!”_

_“Have you been sleeping?”_

_“It’s about time you took on a wife or an apprentice to help you with that damn light!”_

Felix kept his vision on the horizon, only letting it drift to the grotto up the shoreline when he truly became lost in the memories of the beast’s touch.

“Take on a wife,” he scoffed, turning back into the watch room. “Nonsense.” He turned the crank for the light one last time for that night, waiting back on the gallery walk for the dawn to break so he could curl up with his misery in bed.

Once the sun began to creep over the horizon, Felix trudged down the stairs, ignoring the mewls of Glenn as he followed him down.

“Quiet, cat,” he mumbled, heading straight for his home, ignoring the old man waiting at his door.

“You best not be slacking tonight, boy! Word is there’s a storm headed up the coast. We’ll need your light then!”

Felix shot the man a glare strong enough to send him scurrying off the property. He walked into his home, slamming the door behind him. Glenn mewled loudly, seemingly offended by how close his tail was to the door.

“Let it go, cat.” Felix dragged his feet towards the stairs, tossing his coat and cap to the floor as he climbed the stairs. He fell onto his sheets, thankful to have changed them since he cast away the beast. But as his eyes fluttered closed, a hint of his musk remained in the room, carrying Felix off to another restless sleep.

&&&

_The storm splashed a spray of water onto the gallery walk, soaking Felix down to his skin. Even one hundred feet above sea level, the storm was powerful enough to send the waves that high. He squinted out at the horizon, spotting a ship being tossed about like a cat teasing a mouse in its paws._

_He gripped the railings tight, leaning over, tearing at his vocal cords as he screamed, “GLENN!!”_

_He glanced up, the light growing dimmer by the second. “Shit,” he cursed, scrambling into the watch room, slipping on a puddle of water that sent him hurtling to the ground. He ignored the trickle of blood that fell down the side of his face, scrambling up the small ladder to the service room; he had to keep the light lit. But no matter how much oil he poured in, the light continued to dwindle._

_Felix frantically looked between the lens and the ship out at sea, pressing himself to the glass of the lantern room as he watched the ship split in two._

_“No!!”_

_He was helpless to do anything for the ship, helpless to do anything to keep the light glowing as it flickered down to nothing more than an ember._

_“Glenn!!” He continued to call out, but his voice did nothing but cast a fog over the glass in front of him. In the water, he spotted a cerulean blue tail dive in and out between the waves and his eyes grew wide in fear._

_“Shit, no, don’t!! Glenn!”_

_A body drifted on a piece of wood; his brother, he knew it had to be his brother. But the beast was getting closer and soon it was upon Glenn, its sharp fangs glistening against the waves…_

&&&

A clap of thunder stirred Felix from his sleep, paired with his own pained screams. He sat up, covered in sweat, the cat curled at his feet. Rain sprayed violently against his window and he knew.

“The storm.”

He scrambled out of bed and grabbed his clothes that were strewn about the floor. He ignored the pang of hunger in his stomach as he ran out into the storm; it was still daytime, the light bits of gray in the sky told him that much, but a storm was a storm, and regardless of the time of day, he was needed.

The moment he reached the light, his clothes were already soaked through. He tossed off his coat and cap, leaving them at the bottom of the light; they were useless to him, now, and he generally kept spares up in the watch room, along a woolen cloak to protect him from nastier weather.

Once he made it to the watch room, he noticed the mess he had left about from the past few nights. He sighed, leaning his back against the wall and staring up at the ceiling. “Guess I really am losing it.”

One more clap of thunder paired with a flash of lightning jolted him out of his momentary trance. He shook his head, drops of water splattering around, and went to work to tend to the light.

* * *

The evening carried on as any standard storm would; rain and sea water spilling into the watch room, Felix scrambling to keep the light lit and spinning. He spent extra time wiping down the glass, a task he had neglected for the past few nights. The smallest of smudges could be detrimental to a ship further out, and with last night’s dream heavy on his mind, he couldn’t be responsible for something like that.

He climbed down the ladder from the lantern room, and continued until he made it back down to the watch room. But with a heavy breath, he could smell a familiar musk mixing in with the salty air, and as he turned on his heel, he spotted the beast on human legs.

“What are you doing here?!”

Felix stared at his pathetic expression, his eye sad, his arms carrying the dripping coat Felix had discarded below.

“Felix, please, listen to me, I…”

“Why should I? Give me one good reason I should listen to a monster like you!”

The beast dropped his head, clutching to the coat in his hands; his whole body was shaking and Felix thought he could see a tear fall from his eye; it could have been the rain. Felix wished it to be rain.

“I didn’t kill him,” he said softly.

It was at that time that Felix got a better look at him; his clothes were torn to shreds, beaten at the hems. His eye was bloodshot around the bright blue iris, paired with dark circles sagging beneath it.

Felix felt the twinge in his chest and a part of him wanted to run to Dimitri, to hold him, to kiss him.

But those photos still haunted him.

“Then how did you get them? How did you get his photographs?”

Dimitri looked up, wet hair sticking to his face. “I didn’t lure out the ship, I didn’t cause the storm. I don’t even know what you mean by all that. That’s not,” he paused, his voice choking on a quiet sob, “that’s not something my kind can even do. But I did come upon his ship during that storm.”

He held the coat closer to his chest, slipping his hand into one of the pockets and pulling out the photos. “I came upon a man in the wreckage, your brother. He was…”

Dimitri winced, as if the memory was too painful.

Felix could have laughed.

“He was drifting on a piece of wood and there was…Felix, there was so much blood. But he…” Dimitri froze, holding up the photos and letting a sad smile spread across his face. “He gave me these photos. I was there with him as he died, I held his hand…”

“Stop it…”

“He told me your name,” Dimitri said, and a tear truly did fall down his face that time. “Told me it was you in the photo. Told me to find you, to watch over you. And I…I just had to…”

“Shut up!”

Dimitri tossed the jacket to the ground, the photos fluttering to the floor with it as he ran to Felix, holding him close to his chest.

Felix wanted to fight back, wanted to push Dimitri off, but in the end, he couldn’t resist; he could only melt into Dimitri’s hold, gripping tight. Why did he ever want to part from something so warm, from something that felt so good? But in the back of his mind, his voice of reason returned.

“Let…let me go!”

“I never want you leaving my arms again, Felix, please, I…”

A loud clap of thunder accompanied a wave high enough to knock both Felix and Dimitri to the floor. Dimitri kept a hand over the back of Felix’s head as they fell, and Felix couldn’t help but stare. Where had he been this whole time? Did he stay in the grotto? Did he go into town?

Filled with the sudden urge, Felix leaned up, splayed beneath Dimitri, and kissed him.

Dimitri froze as water sloshed in beneath them, but kissed Felix back, holding him gently in his arms.

“You’re a fool,” Felix spat out, still gazing up at the man above him. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Dimitri just laughed. “You wouldn’t let me.”

“Idiot.”

Together, they made it to their feet, but with the next clap of thunder, there was a scream coming from the gallery walk. Both of them ran out, looking frantically around the narrow space. Felix clutched at the railings, looking for anyone who may be in danger, but instead, all he heard behind him was a deep yell, paired with a sweet scent.

“Shit,” he turned, the woman standing before him. Behind her, he spotted Dimitri, dangling off the ledge of the light, hands desperately gripping the opposite side of the railing. “Dimitri!!”

“I told you to be wary of the storm, young lighthouse keeper.”

Despite the torrential downpour, the woman seemed untouched by the weather. Her hair flowed at her sides and Felix noticed for the first time that her skin had a certain sheen to it, almost as if it were made of scales.

“Who the fuck are you?!”

She smirked, stepping closer to Felix. “Why bother giving my name to a future corpse, hmm?”

His eyes widened, but in order to save Dimitri, he had to deal with her first. He ran back into the watch room, tearing his father’s war memorabilia from the wall and brandishing the sword; a childhood dream come true. If only it could be for a less dire situation.

He clutched the shield close to his chest and ran back, relieved to see Dimitri still hanging on; with this much rain, however, it wouldn’t be for long. The thought alone made his heart race.

“Aren’t you cute? Thinking you can fight me…”

Felix ran to her and slammed into her face with the shield, sending her tumbling down along the walkway with a sizable dent on the shield. She seemed to be unconscious and Felix took the moment of calm to reach over the railing, grabbing on to Dimitri’s arms.

“I’m gonna pull you up!”

Dimitri looked up, nodding furiously as his legs kicked wildly in the air, the rain pouring over his skin.

Felix’s heart dropped at the image that flashed in his head; Dimitri falling, his body bloody and broken on the rocks below. He shook the thought out of his head and pulled up. There were moments when his hand slipped, but as the rain started to die down, Felix was able to get a better grip and helped Dimitri back up and over the railing.

They fell into one another once more, Dimitri on top of Felix, hands clutching his face.

“You’re…really heavy,” Felix said with a laugh.

Dimitri smiled and he seemed ready to lean in for another kiss, but his eye darted to the side, and in once swift motion, he grabbed the sword by their feet and thrusted it into the woman’s stomach.

Felix barely noticed that she had made it back to her feet, hovering over them, her face the contorted mess of an actual monster.

She stumbled back against the railing and the moment Dimitri wrenched the sword from her body, she tumbled backwards over the railing, falling to the rocks and sea below.

They sat there, suspended in the moment, Felix’s heart racing in his chest. But Dimitri turned, and with his smile, the clouds broke behind him.

“Felix, I…”

Felix had no time for words. He pulled Dimitri close, nearly suffocating him in a kiss until the sun rose over the horizon, putting an end to the night and the storm.

Dimitri smiled as he pulled back from Felix’s kiss, his hand trailing down Felix’s cheek. But suddenly, his eyes grew wide as he glanced back. “Oh no…”

“Is everything alright?”

Felix held him close, but it wasn’t until he heard the gentle slap on water that he followed Dimitri’s gaze; his tail had grown back, pants in tatters on the walkway beside them.

“I had until the end of the storm…”

“What? What do you mean?!”

Dimitri shook his head, turning back to Felix with a sad smile. “You didn’t let me speak, Felix. I didn’t get to tell you before the storm ended. I love you!”

There was far too much information for Felix to process at once; a very not-human Dimitri lying on top of him, the end of the storm, Dimitri’s words. “What is happening?”

“I love you, Felix,” he said once more, the sheen of the scales up his neck sparkling with his eye. “But I guess I’m stuck like this.”

“You’re alive, that’s all that matters, you fool.” Felix held him tight; legs or tail, Felix didn’t mind. He kissed Dimitri once more, running his hands down to feel the glossy sheen of his scales. “I…love you, too.”

* * *

“So he’s really gone?”

Felix nodded, resting his hands around a warm cup of tea. It had been a long night up at the light, but the constant flash of blue scales in the water below helped to bring a smile to his face throughout his shift.

“Yup,” Felix said as he took a sip, trying to hide his expression behind the mug. “Someone came to claim him a few days ago. He’s back out at sea now.”

“What a shame,” Sylvain said through a big yawn. “I wanted to chat with him some more. I need to treat him to another drink.”

“No.” Felix’s voice was stern. “You need to head back into town before your ship abandons you again.”

Sylvain just laughed at Felix, but he still managed to button up his coat, ready to depart once more. He kept his hand on the doorknob as he regarded Felix sadly. “I was just happy for you, Felix. It looked like you had finally found someone, but I guess he had a home to return to.”

_Yes. He did._

“Goodbye, Sylvain.”

Sylvain gave Felix a lazy salute before walking out into the morning chill. He was always welcome at the house, no matter how much it annoyed Felix, but he had other places to be this morning. And Sylvain was sometimes too much of a distraction.

Felix set his tea mug aside and reached over to give Glenn a pat on the head. “I’ll be back later,” he said.

The cat gave a sad meow in response, but took his seat in the window as Felix followed Sylvain out the door, only to turn the opposite way towards the grotto beyond the rocky cliffs.

Sylvain could be spared the details of Dimitri’s stint on land.

It was all due to the sea witch — Cornelia, as Dimitri had eventually told him — and her hold on the once lonely merman who fell in love with a human on the land. Felix’s cheeks warmed at that thought. Dimitri had given him the details of his deal with her: in order to gain his legs, Dimitri had to kiss the human, and to keep them, he had to confess his love and have it returned, all before the end of the next storm. If not, he would be subjected to her bidding, experiments more sinister than just the eye he gave up for payment of sealing the deal.

But the hold she had on him disappeared with her death, and though Dimitri was back to his original form, he was free to live his life without her bounds. Felix shuddered out a breath, knowing the risks Dimitri took just to be with him, but as he kicked off his shoes and rounded the rocks into the grotto, the image of Dimitri swimming in the water set all his worries aside.

“Good morning, Felix!”

Felix nearly slipped, just at the sound of Dimitri’s voice, but he knew to be careful on the rocks; it had become routine by now.

“How was your evening up at the light?”

Felix shrugged as he began to peel his clothing off, folding them and resting them on a dry rock in the grotto. “Same as ever, honestly. Nothing new.”

Dimitri swam to the edge of the water, the end of his tail flipping over the surface, spraying Felix’s body in a light splash. He held out his hands, beckoning Felix into the water with him. “Is that so?”

Felix smirked, down to nothing but his skin, and stepped into the cool water. “I do like seeing you out there,” he said, wading deeper into the water until he could comfortably fit in Dimitri’s arms. “Helps the night go by a little quicker.”

Dimitri hummed, holding him close and taking them both the the center of the water in the cave. “I like watching you, as well.”

Felix groaned a little at that; even in the cool water, it was hard to fight back the heat Dimitri caused in him. But he welcomed it all the same.

“I missed you,” he said, leaning in close. Carefully, he pushed back wet strands of blond hair, losing himself in the warm glow of that blue eye, and fell deep into Dimitri’s kiss.

**\- THE END -**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I really wanted to write a "fairy tale" au and I ended up writing this super lovey dovey sappy romance, haha. But I love it. Glad I was able to share it for Dimilix Week!
> 
> I also struggled with the idea of having Dimitri stay human or going back to a merman, but this was the ending that I felt fit better for the fic. And it also gives me a good excuse to write a sequel~.
> 
> A note on the title:  
> The numbers "one four three" stand for the letters in the phrase "I love you," but more than that, it's also the light signal of Minot's Ledge Lighthouse in Massachusetts, often dubbed as the "I love you light." Felix's lighthouse is more modeled off of a different lighthouse, but that fact always stuck with me about Minot's Ledge and inspired the title for the fic.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Find me on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/thnkurluckystar)


End file.
